Google AI Sprinters – Capturing the economic opportunity of AI in emerging markets

August 4, 2024

Google AI Sprinters – Capturing the economic opportunity of AI in emerging markets

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significant potential to drive economic growth and unleash new forms of economic opportunity in emerging markets. Through its capacity to assist, complement, empower, and inspire, AI offers new ways to address some of the world’s most pressing economic challenges and presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the ways people live, work, and learn across all sectors and in all countries.

While some analysts anticipate that emerging markets will adopt AI more slowly and benefit from it less over the next decade than wealthier countries, there are good reasons to believe these markets can exceed these expectations if they have the right enablers in place. This potential is reflected in recent surveys that show that populations in emerging markets are more optimistic about AI’s economic impact than those in Europe or the United States (US): over 71% of those surveyed in emerging markets said that AI already has a positive impact on access to information, health, education and work (compared with less than 56% in Europe and less than 51% in the US).

This Google report demonstrates AI’s transformative potential within emerging markets. Through examining nine diverse stakeholder groups, from farmers to digital startups, we provide real-life case studies that illuminate how AI can drive progress. Our findings suggest that emerging markets can realize significant benefits from strategically adopting AI technologies across various sectors.

From Digital Sprinters to AI Sprinters

The Digital Sprinters report published by Google in 2020 established a framework for policymakers to harness the economic potential of digital technologies. That framework is even more relevant today as countries seek to participate in the AI transformation. Becoming an AI Sprinter — a country that harnesses AI to accelerate economic development — requires both widespread AI adoption and adaptation to local needs. A robust digital foundation is crucial, and the four Digital Sprinters pillars offer a roadmap for building it:

  • Infrastructure: Investing in high-speed, reliable digital connectivity and secure, environmentally sustainable data centers which together form the backbone of AI development and deployment.
  • People: Preparing people across all communities for the AI-driven economy through education and skills development.
  • Technological innovation: Promoting the research, development, and adoption of AI technologies to address local challenges.
  • Enabling policies: Advancing policies that foster a thriving AI ecosystem to help AI researchers and innovators convert ideas and data into new discoveries, products, and services.

You can download a copy of the report >>> HERE 

About the AI Media Group

The AI Media Group is a South African based industry analysis, publishing & advisory consultancy focused on the AI and smart tech sector in Africa.  The group runs the South African AI Association and are the organisers of AI Expo Africa, the continent’s largest Enterprise Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) trade show.  They also publish The State of AI in Africa Report and Synapse Magazine, Africa’s only AI trade magazine charting Africa’s 4.0 innovation journey. The group also runs AI TV which hosts discussions on trends in AI / deep tech technologies with local, regional and global thought leaders.

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