Similar to how industrialization in the 19th century “divided the world between the rich few and the poor,” the AI revolution might have a similar impact.
Countries that invest in skills, computing power, and robust governance systems will gain advantages, while others risk being left behind.,” warned Philip Schellekens, chief economist of the United Nations Development Program for the Asia-Pacific region.
In a new report, the agency highlighted that women and young adults are most at risk from AI in the workplace, with potential setbacks in health, education, and income improvements.
Meanwhile, the technology giant is predicted to contribute nearly $1 trillion in economic benefits over the next decade in Asia alone, according to the data.
The UN agency noted that although China, Singapore, and South Korea have heavily invested in and benefited from AI, entry-level workers in several South Asian nations face “significant exposure” to ongoing changes, including automation.
“Limited infrastructure, skills, computing power, and governance capacity restrict the potential benefits of AI while heightening risks such as job displacement, data exclusion, and indirect effects like increased global energy and water demand due to AI-intensive systems,” stated the UNDP.
Job protection
To prevent a looming job shortage, UNDP is advocating for governments to consider the ethics of AI before further implementation and to ensure it is done inclusively.
“AI is progressing rapidly and many countries are still at the starting point,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.
“The experience of Asia and the Pacific shows how quickly gaps can develop between those who shape AI and those shaped by it.”
Basic needs to be met
For nations such as Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and Vietnam, the focus is less on developing AI than on utilizing existing, relatively simple voice tools accessible to frontline health workers and farmers, even without internet access.
The Asia-Pacific region hosts over 55% of the global population, positioning it at the forefront of the AI transition.
According to UNDP, the area accommodates over half of the world’s AI users and is quickly enhancing its innovation presence; China alone holds almost 70% of global AI patents, while six countries host over 3,100 newly funded AI enterprises.
“AI could increase the region’s annual GDP growth by about two percentage points and enhance productivity by up to 5 percent in sectors such as health and finance,” reported the UN agency.
Isn’t it just charming how AI is set to create a jobless utopia in Asia-Pacific while we sit back here in the West, sipping our espresso and counting our billions? 🍵💼 Looks like the rich nations are playing a fine game of musical chairs with AI, while the Asia-Pacific is left scrambling for the last seat. 🎶 Good luck explaining that to those still figuring out how to connect to Wi-Fi! 😂 Oh, fantastic! So, while the rich nations are busy stacking their AI chips, the rest of us can just sit back and watch our jobs disappear faster than a pint at happy hour. 🍻 Cheers to progress, right? Seems like the Asia-Pacific is in for a real treat – while the rich folks in the West are cashing in on AI, we’re just trying to figure out how to keep the lights on. 🤷♂️ But hey, who needs jobs when you’ve got a shiny tech revolution, right? 😂 Oh, brilliant! While the West is busy building shiny AI empires, we can just watch millions of our mates in Asia-Pacific cash in on the “joys” of job displacement. Who needs a stable income anyway? 😏💼 Just what the world needed—an AI revolution that promises to deliver economic benefits faster than you can say “job displacement”! Good luck to the workers in Asia-Pacific; it sounds like they’ll need it more than a flat white on a Monday morning! ☕🤦♂️ Talk about a classic case of “let them eat cake” – while the rich nations gobble up the AI pie, the rest of us are left scraping the crumbs off the floor. 🍰😏 Seems like the rich are just tossing the rest of us into the digital deep end without a life preserver, eh? 🤷♂️ Good luck to those “significant exposures” in South Asia – at least they can add “unemployment” to their resumes! 😂 Looks like while the rich are busy programming their way to prosperity, the rest of us in Asia-Pacific are just trying to figure out how to keep our jobs from being ‘upgraded’ to history! 😂 Who needs job security when you have innovation, right? Oh, brilliant! While the rich get richer with their shiny AI tech, the rest of us can practice our “finding a new job” skills – maybe a new Olympic sport? 😂💼 Oh, brilliant! Let’s just turn millions of jobs into digital dust while patting ourselves on the back for a shiny new AI economy. 🥳 Who needs job security when we can have algorithms, right? Oh, brilliant! Just what we need—millions more in Asia-Pacific can join the unemployment queue while the tech giants rake in the bucks. Who needs jobs when you’ve got shiny AI, right? 🙄💼 Seems like while the West is busy playing with its shiny new AI toys, they’re inadvertently signing a job death warrant for millions in Asia-Pacific. Who knew prosperity could come with a side of existential dread? 🤷♂️ Blimey, who knew that while we’re busy sipping espresso and fine-tuning our AI, we’d be throwing millions of jobless folks into the deep end? It’s all fun and games until the robots start sending your résumé to the recycling bin! 😂 Well, isn’t it charming? While the rich nations prance around with their shiny AI gadgets, the rest of Asia-Pacific might just be left holding the “your job is now obsolete” bag. But hey, at least they’ll have a bit more time for karaoke, right? 🎤😏 At the end of May, Russia gifted Kazakhstan a pair of adult Amur tigers and two cubs for release into the wild, aiming to boost the population of large predators in Central Asia. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this news prior to his official visit to Kazakhstan.
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