MOST gains from artificial intelligence are likely to be reaped by wealthy nations, according to the United Nations.

A new report released today by the UN’s Development Programme said there will be an equality gap unless steps are taken to use its power to help close gaps in access to basic needs, as well as such advanced know-how.

The report likens the situation to the “great divergence” of the industrial revolution, when many Western countries saw rapid modernisation while others fell behind.

Questions over how companies and other institutions will use AI are a near universal concern given its potential to change or replace some jobs done by people with computers and robots.

But while much of the attention devoted to AI focuses on productivity, competitiveness and growth, the more important question is what it will mean for human lives, the authors say.

It’s an issue for communities where most people are still struggling to access skills, electric power and internet connectivity, for older people, for people displaced by war, civil conflict and climate disasters.

At the same time such people may be “invisible” in data that will not take them into account, the report said.

“As a general purpose technology, AI can lift productivity, spark new industries and help latecomers catch up,” the report says.

The report argues that “AI systems that analyse poverty, health, and disaster risks enable faster, fairer, and more transparent decisions, turning data into continuous learning and public value.”

Inequalities between regions within countries mean some places, even in advanced economies, are prone to be left behind.

Other risks include misinformation and disinformation, surveillance that violates rights to privacy and systems that can act as “black boxes,” reinforcing biases against minorities or other groups.

“The goal,” the report says, “is to democratise access to AI so that every country and community can benefit while protecting those most at risk from disruption.”