By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
United Nations Tech Envoy
Amandeep Gill has underscored the importance of strengthening digital
infrastructure to ensure equitable access to artificial intelligence, stressing
that AI adoption depends on more than just access to advanced models.
During the second leg of his
visit to China following the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC), Gill held
discussions with Alibaba Cloud in Hangzhou and Huawei in Shenzhen on the
evolving AI landscape, including open-source AI, infrastructure requirements
for agentic AI and industrial applications in sectors such as mining and
mobility.
The engagements formed part
of the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies' efforts to
better understand the rapid evolution of AI technologies and their implications
for global policy and governance.
Gill highlighted persistent
gaps in data centre infrastructure across the Global South, noting the need for
coordinated approaches to identifying demand and developing cross-regional,
government-led pooled offtake models to support investment in AI infrastructure.
He emphasised that access to
AI is shaped by the availability of reliable electricity, connectivity,
computing capacity and cloud infrastructure, in addition to AI models
themselves.
The discussions also
explored how AI technologies are being deployed in practical industrial
settings and how technical developments can support broader sustainable
development goals.
According to the UN Office
for Digital and Emerging Technologies, the engagements will help inform the
organisation's policy work by providing practical insights into the development
of AI systems, infrastructure and applications.
The office said closing gaps
in connectivity, digital talent, AI infrastructure and sustainable
development-focused applications remains central to advancing international
cooperation on AI governance and ensuring that the benefits of artificial
intelligence are shared more equitably across all regions.
