‘Inclusive Digital Transformation Will Pave Path for Prosperity, Bridge Divides’

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by Athar Parvaiz (clermont-ferrand, france)
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Inter Press Service

CLERMONT-FERRAND, France, November 26 (IPS) - Weeks after an international conference on inclusive and people-centric digital transformation organized by the Global Development Network (GDN) here, a new narrative is unfolding about the need for digital innovations to serve people first and narrow inequalities rather than widening them.

Earlier this week, amidst a landmark G20 Summit on African soil, world leaders converged on digital innovations as a force for inclusive growth, urging ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance to bridge global divides. Despite the absence of the U.S. the declaration recommitted to “responsible artificial intelligence innovation,” open-source ecosystems, and AI readiness for developing nations.

In the AI focused session, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a digital “technology that is human-centric, global and open-source instead of merely finance-centric, national, and exclusive.” He proposed a Global AI Compact emphasizing transparency, human oversight, and safeguards against misuse, announcing India’s AI Impact Summit in February 2026, themed Sarvajanam Hitaya, Sarvajanam Sukhaya (or Welfare for All).

Host President Cyril Ramaphosa from South Africa highlighted AI’s role in Africa’s industrialization, endorsing the “AI for Africa” initiative to implement the African Union’s AI Strategy and a Technology Policy Assistance Facility for national policies.

Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka warned, “We cannot let AI create new inequalities where benefits are captured by a handful of people or companies,” advocating fair partnerships to avoid past industrial imbalances.

UAE’s Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri unveiled a USD 1 billion “AI for Development Initiative” for African AI in education, healthcare, and climate, stating it would “bridge gaps and ensure technology serves the continent’s needs.” Canadian PM Mark Carney said that the “world can move on without the United States,” noting participants represent three-quarters of the global population and GDP for legitimate AI consensus.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese echoed calls for ethical AI to foster skills for one million Africans, while the IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva urged policies for AI readiness.

“Skills development, enabling infrastructure… and taxation that favors innovation without favoring machines over people,” Georgieva said.

These voices lend much-required support to efforts being made by organizations such as the Global Development Network (GDN) for a global south-led pivot toward equitable digital transformation, prioritizing open innovation over monopolies.

Stopping widening inequalities

Late last month, GDN organized a three-day conference,“Inclusive Digital Transformation: Social Impacts and Technological Innovations,” which drew participants, including researchers, activists and technologists from the Global South and North, to explore how technology can drive equitable development.

GDN President Jean-Louis Arcand opened the three-day gathering by emphasizing its mission: amplifying voices from developing regions and fostering policy-relevant research. “Why should development discussions always happen in Washington, D.C., New York, or Paris?” Arcand asked, highlighting Clermont-Ferrand’s symbolic choice as a venue to decentralize global dialogues.

“In the digital era, inclusion means building capacity in the Global South to shape technologies that address local realities, not just adopt imported solutions,” he emphasized.

According to a standout presentation by Shu (Grace) Tian, Principal Economist, Asia Development Bank (ADB), over the past five years, mobile coverage in developing Asia has expanded by about 156 percent, reflecting significant progress across the region. In terms of mobile internet use, Tian said that penetration has grown by 5 percent during the same period, and overall data speeds have increased nearly fourfold, now reaching around 2.2 billion people across the region.

Tian said that these advances are yielding tangible benefits. For example, in Indonesia, digitally prepared firms weathered the 2020 lockdowns with far fewer losses, proving digital readiness as a form of economic resilience.

However, despite these benefits, the speaker cautioned that digital transformation can also widen inequality if not managed inclusively. “Factors such as demographics, education, income, skills, and digital literacy can exacerbate social divides. Furthermore, automation and digitalization may displace certain types of jobs, creating new labor market disruptions.”

Highlighting the potential AI holds in disaster mitigation and the developmental path, some presenters sparked excitement, such as AI-based remote sensing for predicting disasters like floods and droughts, empowering smallholder farmers to adapt proactively. African and South Asian practitioners showcased offline AI-enabled learning tools for remote villages, demonstrating that inclusion doesn’t require high-end connectivity, proving technology can reach the most excluded.

Yet, the discussions during the conference didn’t shy away from challenges, framing them as opportunities for deliberate action. Speakers noted persistent divides, such as 40 percent of Malaysians lacking basic digital skills, even as rural-urban gaps endure in countries like India and cybersecurity vulnerabilities threaten progress.

Nandan Nilekani, in a recorded address, stressed that technology succeeds only when it serves “the most excluded citizen,” reducing leakages in service delivery and fostering transparency.

Lack of quality data in low-income countries

All AI systems depend on large volumes of high-quality data, said Johannes Jutting, Executive Head, PARIS21 Secretariat, OECD and Honorary Professor, University of Passau. “This data feeds the algorithms and trains the models. If you do not have good data, you cannot expect good AI solutions for your problems. And many low-income countries simply lack quality data,” Jutting told IPS.

“By quality data, I mean data that is accurate, timely, interoperable, accessible, and open, which we often refer to as the FAIR principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.”

But in many developing countries, he said, state-generated data does not meet these standards. “If you visit the websites of some national statistical offices, you find incomplete datasets, outdated information, or limited accessibility. This is a major barrier. You see it across many low-income African countries, small island states, and lower-income Asian countries such as Nepal and others facing similar constraints,” Jutting said.

The good news, he said, is that AI itself can help. Even in these contexts, AI can be used to clean, structure, and make existing data more usable, according to Jutting. “In that sense, it’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, countries without strong data systems risk being left further behind. On the other hand, AI can also help them overcome some of the very data challenges that have held them back.”

Jutting emphasized that while the gap is real, there are also possibilities for AI to support these countries “provided the right investments and governance frameworks are put in place” on a priority basis.

Agreed ADB’s chief economist, Albert Park: “Future digital realities hinge on the policies we set today.” To ensure no one is left behind, Park told IPS News, building digital capacity is crucial, especially for improving public service delivery.

“With enough technical support and empowerment at the local level, once countries have reasonable connectivity, a whole range of AI applications will ensure rapid progress and help correct failures,” Park said.

As Arcand noted, the GDN’s focus aligns with evolving global priorities, including the World Bank’s Digital Vice Presidency. The converging themes — from GDN’s warnings against divides to world leaders’ call for equitable AI during the G20 conference-signal a turning point towards a combined effort for a digital future where prosperity is shared, innovation thrives, and no one is left behind.

Note: The reporting and research for this story was supported by Global Development Network

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