Millions of jobs across Asia could be at risk as artificial intelligence (AI) adoption accelerates in wealthier nations, leaving poorer countries struggling to provide even basic digital access and literacy, UN economists warned on Tuesday. The situation echoes the 19th-century industrial revolution, which split the world into a wealthy few and an impoverished majority, the UN agency said.
“Countries that invest in skills, computing power, and sound governance systems will benefit; others risk being left far behind,” cautioned Philip Schellekens, Chief Economist for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for the Asia and Pacific region.
A new UNDP report highlights that women and young adults face the greatest threat from AI in the workplace, with progress in health, education, and income potentially undermined if policy action is delayed. Meanwhile, the AI revolution is expected to inject nearly $1 trillion in economic gains across Asia over the next decade.
China, Singapore, and South Korea have invested heavily in AI and are already reaping the benefits. In contrast, entry-level workers in many South Asian countries face “significant exposure” to automation and related disruptions. The UNDP noted that limited infrastructure, skills, computing power, and governance capacity constrain potential benefits while amplifying risks, including job losses, data exclusion, and indirect effects such as rising energy and water demands from AI-intensive systems.
To avert a looming jobs crisis, UNDP urges governments to prioritize ethical and inclusive AI deployment. “AI is racing ahead, and many countries are still at the starting line,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “The Asia-Pacific experience highlights how quickly gaps can emerge between those shaping AI and those being shaped by it.”
For countries like Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and Vietnam, the immediate focus is less on developing sophisticated AI and more on leveraging existing voice-based tools that frontline health workers and farmers can use even without reliable internet access.
The Asia-Pacific region, home to over 55 percent of the world’s population, is at the heart of the AI transition. The report notes that the region hosts more than half of global AI users, with China alone holding nearly 70 percent of global AI patents, and six countries supporting over 3,100 newly funded AI companies. AI could boost regional GDP growth by around two percentage points annually and raise productivity by up to five percent in sectors such as health and finance.
Yet vast disparities remain. For example, Afghanistan’s average income is 200 times lower than Singapore’s, illustrating why AI adoption is concentrated in a handful of wealthy countries. “We’re not starting from a level playing field in this region,” said Schellekens. “This is the most unequal region in the world.”
