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Inequities in access to AI may increase, not tackle, inequality

education

AI tools may be used as a panacea to address well established inequities in resourcing, leading to two-tiered systems including in education; conversely access to AI may be limited by the resources available at a local, regional, or national level in ways that limit further access to effective AI tools and the economic benefits associated with them (including jobs). "Issue: Vastly different power structures among and within countries create risk that A/IS deployment accelerates, rather than reduces, inequality in the pursuit of a sustainable future. It is unclear how LMIC can best implement A/IS via existing resources and take full advantage of the technology’s potential to achieve a sustainable future.The potential use of A/IS to create sustainable economic growth for LMIC is uniquely powerful. Yet, many of the debates surrounding A/IS take place within HIC, among highly educated and financially secure individuals. It is imperative that all humans, in any condition around the world, are considered in the general development and application of these systems to avoid the risk of bias, excessive inequality, classism, and general rejection of these technologies. With much of the financial and technical resources for A/IS development and deployment residing in HIC, not only are A/IS benefits more difficult to access for LMIC populations, but those A/IS applications that are_ _deployed outside of HIC realities may not be appropriate. This is for reasons of cultural/ethnic bias, language difficulties, or simply an inability to adapt to local internet infrastructure constraints.Furthermore, technological innovation in LMIC comes up against many potential obstacles, which could be considered when undertaking initiatives aimed at enhancing LMIC access:

Sources IEEE
Title Inequities in access to AI may increase, not tackle, inequality