Artificial intelligence is advancing at a breathtaking pace. Countries and companies are racing to build more powerful models and push the boundaries of what machines can do.

But for much of the Global South, the more immediate question is a different one: How can AI help solve problems that affect people’s lives today?

The answer may not always lie in the world’s most powerful AI systems. Countries across the region are at very different stages of technological development. Some have advanced research capabilities and large digital economies, while others are still building data centres, digital networks, and a skilled workforce needed to make AI work at scale.

Pakistani State Minister Bilal Bin Saqib said the MAZU Satellite AI Toolbox could provide smarter meteorological early-warning services for countries in the Global South, helping protect crops, strengthen food security and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Pakistani State Minister Bilal Bin Saqib said the MAZU Satellite AI Toolbox could provide smarter meteorological early-warning services for countries in the Global South, helping protect crops, strengthen food security and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This is creating a new dimension of South-South cooperation. BRICS countries, with their diverse technological capabilities and development experiences, are increasingly developing and sharing AI technologies, expertise and applications with other emerging and developing economies.

Rather than simply transferring one-size-fits-all technologies, these efforts are being adapted to local infrastructure, economic conditions and development priorities.

The result is more about asking where AI can make the biggest difference.

Across much of the Global South, where medical resources are often concentrated in major cities, access to timely and quality healthcare can depend on where a person lives. For people in rural and remote areas, seeing a specialist may require travelling hundreds of kilometres, as local clinics may lack the equipment or expertise needed for an accurate diagnosis.

AI is beginning to offer........

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