Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Asia Catches up on AI but Digital Divide Remains Between Rich and Poor

VOA News

   The earliest fans of the internet wondered if it could be a
   democratizing technology, giving all people access to information,
   regardless of their income, social status, or level of freedom under
   their governments. Today another computer technology -- artificial
   intelligence -- raises similar questions, depending on whether it will
   bring benefits for all, or worsen the inequality already in place.

   A new report, jointly released by Google, INSEAD business school, and
   Adecco recruiters, tackles those questions by ranking nations and
   cities based on how well they attract people to their workforce by
   investing in technology like AI. Asian nations shot up the Global
   Talent Competitiveness Index in 2020 compared to 2019, particularly
   developing nations. That has led observers to a two-pronged conclusion
   marked by cautious optimism: on the one hand, poorer nations can use
   this technology to get ahead; on the other hand, if people become
   complacent, the technological advantage could stay in rich nations.

   "As talent becomes increasingly fluid and mobile, some early AI
   adopters could leverage this to become more talent competitive," Bruno
   Lanvin, executive director of global indices at INSEAD, said, "however
   there are also signs that the ubiquity of AI is amplifying current
   imbalances and inequalities."

   Most large nations in Asia improved their rankings this year, including
   China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The index assigns
   nations a score for each of dozens of indicators, such as how much
   technical education and training they provide, the amount of technology
   transfer they enable, and the level of social mobility.

   The reason observers have drawn mixed conclusions from the index is
   that there is opportunity for developing nations to improve, but it is
   limited. For instance Malaysia got higher marks this year because it
   does a good job of matching workforce needs with talent. However the
   report authors say it "would benefit from higher tolerance and greater
   opportunities for minorities and immigrants."

.