Some of the tech world’s biggest names have committed to invest funds in a US Government scheme supporting AI technology access across the globe.
Amazon, Anthropic, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI have all signed up to the Partnership for Global Inclusivity on AI.
The launch on the margins of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York comes at a time when AI uptake is rapidly advancing, but the safety frameworks around it have yet to be hammered out in the US.
Education and Access
The launch was headed up by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who announced that the technology partners had committed more than $100 million to the project. This includes $10 million in credits from Amazon Web Services and a commitment to provide free AI-specific skills training to two million people globally by 2025.
Anthropic is offering $1 million in API access to Claude and Claude for Teams. API credits are also on offer from OpenAI, which is launching an academy to invest in developers and organizations in low- and middle-income countries “who are leveraging AI to help solve hard problems and spur economic growth in their communities.”
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For Google, this initiative is centered upon education, and it is providing $120 million to support a Global AI Opportunity Fund “to make AI education and training available throughout the world.” Training will be provided in local languages, the press statement adds, and the tech behemoth will be teaming up with local organizations to make this happen. Upskilling is the focus for NVIDIA, which will invest $10 million per year in training programs in emerging economies.
IBM shares that it will train two million learners in AI globally by 2026 and it’s boosting its Sustainability Accelerator, which will “provide up to $45 million in expertise and technologies, such as AI, by the end of 2028” to help vulnerable populations address environmental challenges.
Access is key for Meta, which will “invest more than $10 million in programmatic support globally to expand open-source AI innovation,” while Microsoft is promising to invest in the infrastructure needed for AI uptake “by investing more than $12 billion in AI data center infrastructure, connectivity, and skilling in the Global South”.
Government Funding
The State Department is adding $10 million in Foreign Assistance to the pot to close the AI access gap with an additional $23 million in funding “to promote the responsible use and governance of AI globally.”
This is an emphasis, says Blinken, who talked about the balance between driving sustainable development and “an unwavering commitment to safety, security, and trustworthiness in AI systems.” AI, the release states, is a “tool to advance democracy, promote human and labor rights, and foster justice and accountability.”
The Organization of American States, which includes countries in both North and South America, will be given funding to develop an AI policy framework – a push which is proving divisive in the US. The US has signed up to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention in Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, but legislation is struggling to keep up with technological advancements.
Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor
The launch is targeting growing research and concern about the widening gulf in technology uptake between wealthy and poorer countries. The International Monetary Fund specifically talked about AI in a paper published in 2020. It warned new technologies, including AI “could…have negative consequences for jobs in developing countries by threatening to replace rather than complement their growing labor force.”
This partnership is a signaler that those in places of power – both in Government and private enterprises – are aware of this potential impact. But with warnings that even the most developed countries might strain under the energy demands AI makes, this might be the biggest block for developing nations.
