Because of the proprietary nature of most LLM-services, the nations with the most advanced AI technology, AI proficiency and AI adaptability (societal platforms, infrastructure and populace) will have a productivity and perhaps also an innovative edge over others. Depending on the scale of advancement in the field, this could have consequences for the research, product development, military capacity and market superiority of a nation, if it possesses AI-technology that is more advanced than that of other nations. With the dawn of the internet a lot of industry was disrupted but globally new areas have prospered in its stead. It is however difficult to assess whether AI will offer the same change in prosperity, because AI tools – if made to live up to their promise – stand to replace humanity. So who will be the real winners, and will the advantages befall societies or corporations. On an individual level, being able to think with AI and strategically know when and how to employ it will perhaps be the demarcation line between those that still have a job that hasn’t been replaced by an AI. There is another future projection however. At present the investment in AI technology is what keeps the US economy afloat. If AI is seen not to pan out and realize its potential, there is a marked probability that it will bring the great industry to a bust. So if AI is seen not to live up to its promises, those nations with too much investment in AI instead of other technologies, for instance quantum computing of sustainable energies, will be at a sudden disadvantage. All their investment will have been in vain – and you cannot use the same money twice – so they will suddenly be at a sad crossroads.
If we talk about AI in its whole meaning (not just the generative kind) there will be an inequality in the way states and institutions work with data. The actors who will be able to develop and train efficient AI in fields like medicine, security or another strategic area, will be able to manage and organize huge amounts of data they could use more efficiently than the ones who are not capable of reaching such an investment in database or infrastructure. It's slightly early to measure the implications of these gaps in such critical fields. I don’t think it would make a difference within the capacity to keep working on them, but for sure, the actors who will dominate this technology will achieve bigger control and analysis capability over this resource (data). The way this will be used is still something we will need to see in the incoming future as it could imply more control over population or more tools to deal with common issues in society. What it’s already clear is that the organizations more adapted to the AI infrastructure and models will research and develop faster solutions for the mentioned areas of development with the twist that they will also need more energy, specialized workforce and investment, which can be a double edged condition.
Unequal access to artificial intelligence can widen social and economic gaps through productivity and employment. Companies and countries with access to AI can reduce costs and produce more efficiently, driving their economic growth. Conversely, those without these tools are at a disadvantage. Additionally, automation can eliminate certain jobs, and without proper training in new technologies, many people struggle to access higher-paying employment. On the other hand, in education, AI enables more personalized and effective learning, benefiting students who have access to these tools. They can develop more advanced skills and have better career opportunities. In contrast, those without these resources receive a more limited education, which increases inequality in the long term. Furthermore, countries and companies that use AI can innovate faster and adapt more effectively to the market, attracting investment and talent. Meanwhile, those without access fall behind, creating a growing gap between the most advanced and the less developed.
We don’t quite know yet, but early research from WEF, OECD, Anthropic to name a few, suggests that AI will indeed widen gaps between frontier users and hesitant users. There are many reasons why this gap might widen, but most of them have to do with the compounding effect of using something intelligently. Below I’ve summarized two points: Learning: AI has the potential to help us all become better learners but is unfortunately designed in a way that leads many people to circumvent core learning principles, such as struggling with something continuously and engaging cognitively in multiple modalities. An example of this could be reading a complex text, formulating your own opinions, then writing those down and presenting them resulting in a discussion. Unequal use and access may propel the more skilled user forward, positioning them well to use more complex models, whereas the “weak” user is left behind. As an example, you could imagine giving a computer to a person from the 18th century – it wouldn’t benefit them at all, as they’d have no means or skills to use the technology. Given the accelerating nature of AI technology, we might end up in a situation where the gap is too wide, and the people who initially didn’t jump on the train have no means to catch up, as acceleration continues. Economy: The same framework comes into play economically. Nations or businesses with enough resources to capitalize on the benefits of AI, can use those benefits to position themselves for the next generation of AI, entering a beneficial spiral. In addition, AI has a growing capability for automating repetitive or execution level jobs. Historically a lot of these jobs have been outsourced to population groups or nations where labor is cheaper. If the automation of jobs happens slowly, the markets may adapt, but if it happens increasingly faster, adaptation becomes extremely difficult. While AI will create new jobs as well, these will require re- or up-skilling which these groups may not be well positioned for due to lack of economy, education frameworks, political priorities, etc. One opposition to this is that AI gives smaller, skillful players an easier route to disrupt established players. Where running a company before might require a range of specializations, you could potentially now use AI to cover for the ones you don’t have. In addition, large established corporations are generally slow to adapt to changes, whereas small digital first companies can react to sudden development much more easily at much less cost, leaving them better positioned to reap the benefits of technological changes.
Those who have access to modern AI, powerful computers, fast internet and good training can take advantage of many advantages: work processes become more efficient, information processed more quickly and new products or services are developed more easily. As a result, companies can increase their competitiveness and provide people with better education and training. Maintain career opportunities. However, it becomes problematic when this access is unevenly Distributed. Large companies and economically strong countries can do a lot of work. development. Smaller companies, poorer regions or developing countries often do not have the same financial and technical capabilities. This creates the risk that some groups (companies or countries) will become technologically faster and faster. while others are increasingly left behind. This inequality can also increase in the education sector. Pupils with Access to AI-powered learning programs, digital devices, or AI-driven Support programs can acquire knowledge faster, perform better
Inequalities in access to AI services can deepen social and economic differences because people without sufficient access to AI have fewer opportunities to increase their productivity or improve their income. This affects not only individual population groups, but also structurally disadvantaged regions and countries in the Global South. As a result, there is a risk that technological, economic and political power will become even more concentrated among a small number of players.
As the tools we use become so powerful, the people who have no access to them sink deeper in the social pyramids. And the ones who have the ownership of these tools, rise up to the top of said pyramid. Ultimately, AI is technology, and technology is, in history, not only a determining factor in the growth of a nation, but also in how much said nation can bully others into compliance; something that unfortunately has become relevant again in recent times.
The use of artificial intelligence offers many benefits—from saving time to automating routine tasks, improving productivity, and boosting results. For the economy, this is always a desirable outcome: lower investment (cost) leads to higher profit (revenue). In this sense, a lack of access to such tools can impact productivity and income—requiring many people, a lot of production time, low incomes... (the economy stalls and becomes inefficient). At the same time, the lack of skills to use AI in the developed world—and beyond—can negatively impact employment and increase unemployment among vulnerable groups (low education, lack of digital skills, etc.).
Those who know how to work with AI will have an advantage in the job market.
