The AI Series: AI and the Global South

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and Urvashi Aneja delve into how AI is shaping the Global South.

While many of the most talked-about AI technologies are created in Silicon Valley, much of the human labour behind them comes from the Global South. This dynamic raises critical questions about who truly benefits from AI—and at what expense.

Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and Urvashi Aneja, head of the Digital Futures Lab, examine the real-world effects of AI on Global South communities. They highlight challenges around labour practices, democratic systems, and environmental impacts. Both argue that nations must rethink their approach to AI—moving away from simply emulating the Global North and instead shaping AI to meet their own unique needs and values.