The United Nations warned in its first official artificial intelligence report that the rapid spread of AI could deepen global inequality [1].

This warning highlights a growing divide between nations leading the technical race and those left behind. Without a unified regulatory framework, the UN said the benefits of AI may concentrate among a few powerful actors while increasing risks for the rest of the world.

The report, released in August 2023 [2], was produced by an independent international scientific panel co-chaired by Yoshua Bengio, a professor at the University of Montreal [1]. The findings emphasize that AI development is currently concentrated primarily in the U.S. and China [1].

Experts said that the pace of technical advancement is far outstripping the creation of safety guardrails. According to the report, AI performance doubles every few months [1]. This exponential growth creates a gap where regulatory frameworks, and public understanding, cannot keep pace with the technology's capabilities [1].

Bengio and the panel said that common human norms are necessary to guide the deployment of these systems. The report argues that failing to implement such norms could lead to severe societal harm as the technology integrates into global infrastructure [1].

The UN panel advocates for international cooperation to ensure that AI does not become a tool for further marginalization. By establishing global standards, the organization aims to prevent a scenario where technical superiority translates directly into geopolitical, or economic, dominance [1].

“The rapid spread of artificial intelligence could deepen global inequality.”

The UN's focus on the concentration of AI power in the US and China suggests a shift toward viewing AI not just as a technical challenge, but as a geopolitical risk. If the gap between AI-leading nations and the rest of the world continues to widen, it could destabilize international relations and create new forms of economic dependency, making global governance a necessity rather than an option.