India has become the world leader in self-reported AI skills penetration, highlighting the country's growing significance in the artificial intelligence industry, a report published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday stated.
India's fast-paced advances in adopting AI technology to spur sectors such as small businesses and agriculture are noted by the report for commendation. With its talent pool for tech having in excess of five million software professionals, the country stands well-prepared to accelerate its growth into the development of AI and using it.
Growing use of AI is being imparted into highly vital sectors of medicine and farming, the report indicates, referencing its revolutionary quality to tackle issues of development.
The UNDP also highlights a worrying deceleration in world human development, stressing that AI can be used as a driver to turn this trend around. "The decisions we make over the next few years will determine the legacy of this technological shift for human development," stated Pedro Conceicao, Director of the Human Development Report Office. With the right policies and people-centric focus, AI can be a key bridge to new knowledge, skills, and ideas that can empower everyone from farmers to small business owners.
Entitled "A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)," the 2025 Human Development Report takes stock through the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures gains in health, education, and income. For 2024, the projection shows stalled progress on the HDI in all regions of the world.
Aside from the slowdown, the report identifies an increasing gap between developed and less-developed countries. With traditional development models under increasing global pressures, the report emphasizes the need for bold action to prevent long-term stagnation.
Despite global challenges, the Asia-Pacific region has seen notable human development gains since 1990. Both East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia have improved their HDI values by over 50%, reaching 0.775 and 0.672 respectively. South Asia recorded the steepest HDI growth in 2023, with a 4.8% rise, while East Asia and the Pacific followed with a 1.2% increase.
UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner stressed the importance of innovation during periods of crisis. "In the midst of this global upheaval, we have to seek urgently new means of driving development," Steiner said. "With Artificial Intelligence pushing forward so swiftly in so many areas of our lives, we should look to its potential for development.". New capacities arise nearly every day, and as much as AI is no miracle cure, the decisions we take have the possibility to reboot human development and initiate new avenues and opportunities.
A global survey included in the report reveals a blend of realism and optimism among people regarding AI’s impact. While half of the respondents believe their current jobs might be automated, about 60% anticipate AI will benefit their employment prospects, possibly through roles that are yet to be imagined.
The report is adamant in its call for a people-centric approach to AI, and it demands that there be deep shifts in how development is conceived and provided. It identifies three major action areas: encouraging harmony between humans and AI instead of rivalry, human control throughout the lifecycle of AI, and redesigning education and healthcare systems to suit the needs of the 21st century.
The research also indicates that the international dissemination of AI is already in progress. Twenty percent of respondents currently use AI, and two-thirds of respondents from nations with lower HDI scores predict they will interact with AI for education, healthcare, or work within a year.
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