UNCTAD Report: Frontier technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), are profoundly transforming our economies and societies, reshaping production processes, labour markets and the ways in which we live and interact. Will AI accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, or will it exacerbate existing inequalities, leaving the underprivileged further behind? How can developing countries harness AI for sustainable development? AI is the first technology in history that can make decisions and generate ideas on its own. This sets it apart from traditional technologies and challenges the notion of technological neutrality.
The rapid development of AI has also outpaced the ability of Governments to respond effectively. The Technology and Innovation Report 2025 aims to guide policymakers through the complex AI
andscape and support them in designing science, technology and innovation (STI) policies that foster inclusive and equitable technological progress.
The world already has significant digital divides, and with the rise of AI, these could widen even further. In response, the Report argues for AI development based on inclusion and equity, shifting the focus from
technology to people. AI technologies should complement rather than displace human workers and production should be restructured so that the benefits are shared fairly among countries, firms and
workers. It is also important to strengthen international collaboration, to enable countries to co-create inclusive AI governance.
The Report examines five core themes:
A. AI at the technological frontier
B. Leveraging AI for productivity and workers’ empowerment
C. Preparing to seize AI opportunities
D. Designing national policies for AI
E. Global collaboration for inclusive and equitable AI…(More)”