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China event asks if Apec’s rules can close growing AI gap between rich and poor

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Alyssa ChenPublished: 9:00am, 26 Aug 2026Updated: 9:18am, 26 Aug 2026A “widening” AI gap between advanced economies and developing countries has sparked calls to use the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation framework to develop an open, fairer and culturally sensitive governance system.Although the technology is often hailed as a great leveller in an era of sluggish economic growth, a conference held in southern China last weekend heard that many Global South countries lacked the critical infrastructure and talent required to harness artificial intelligence effectively.

Speakers at the event warned there was a risk innovation could largely benefit a few countries and businesses, and proposed a range of solutions, including joint programmes and taking full advantage of Apec’s flexible structures.

Chung Chul, senior vice-president of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, said the economic gap was “widening, not shrinking” and an “inclusive” framework designed to tackle this problem “cannot be treated as a residual outcome. Instead, it should be something considered beforehand, not just after innovation.”

He said this principle should be fundamental to any form of technological cooperation and innovation, adding: “So the central policy question is not whether Apec should use AI but whether the region can scale innovation without widening the gap.”

Figures from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development indicate the global AI landscape and its rule-making processes are heavily concentrated in the hands of a small group of nations and roughly 100 corporations.

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