WASHINGTON, DC—Many countries are trying to do more for their citizens, albeit often with outdated systems. That means accessing government services can feel like a second job. A mother walks half a day to a clinic, only to be turned away because she needs a form from an office in another town. A farmer who qualifies for financial support gives up after being passed from queue to queue. AI, if used correctly, could help close these gaps, expanding a capable state’s reach.

Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images Culture 1 The Algorithm Driving French Student Protests Gabriela Ramos highlights an underreported factor that fueled the unrest now roiling the country.

The Algorithm Driving French Student Protests

Guillaume Souvant/AFP via Getty Images Longer Reads 0 The Agentic Information Economy Shuwei Fang offers a preview of an internet fully populated by private, public, and personal AI agents.

The Agentic Information Economy

Anderson Coelho/AFP via Getty Images Economics 0 Brazil Cannot Afford Bolsonaro’s Spending Cuts Laura Carvalho & Joseph E. Stiglitz urge the country’s voters to defeat policies that would reverse hard-won progress on growth and poverty.

Brazil Cannot Afford Bolsonaro’s Spending Cuts

For low- and middle-income countries, the stakes could not be higher: AI could be a great equalizer, or it could deepen inequality. While AI’s likely contributions to agriculture, health care, and education hold great promise, the World Bank’s World Development Report 2026 estimates that AI’s productivity benefits could be more than........

© Project Syndicate