For decades, human development indicators showed a stable upward curve, with UN researchers predicting that by 2030 high levels of development will be enjoyed by the world’s population.
These hopes have been shattered in recent years after a period of exceptional crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, with progress stagnating in all parts of the world.
Progress towards “very realistic threats”
Human Development Report, an annual publication from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), shows that inequality between wealthy and poor countries has increased for the fourth consecutive year.
Global pressures such as rising trade tensions that limit governments’ ability to invest in public services and aggravated debt crisis have narrowed the traditional path to development.
“This slowdown represents a very realistic threat to global advancement,” said UNDP administrator Achim Steiner. “If progress in 2024 becomes a ‘new normal’, that 2030 milestone could slip for decades. Our world is less secure, more divided and more vulnerable to economic and ecological shocks. ”
A robot capable of performing tasks assigned to humans stands in a shopping mall in Kyoto, Japan.
Maybe the robots aren’t coming for our job
Despite the pessimistic metrics, the report is surprisingly bright about the possibilities of artificial intelligence, focusing on the ferocious pace of businesses and individuals embracing free or low-cost tools as well.
UNDP researchers conducted a survey to assess opinions on AI and found that around 60% of respondents hope that technology will positively impact their work and create new opportunities.
Those living at low levels of development were particularly enthusiastic. 70% expect AI to increase productivity, and two-thirds expect to use AI in education, health or work the following year.
Action Station
The authors of the report include recommendations to ensure that AI is as useful as possible. This will build an economy focused on human cooperation with AI, including education and modernising the healthcare system to properly meet today’s needs.
“We’ve seen a lot of effort into the development of our team,” said Pedro Conceiço, director of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office.
“With a good policy and focus on people, AI could be an important bridge to new knowledge, skills and ideas that can enhance everyone, from farmers to small business owners.”
Ultimately, the report’s message is that it is difficult to predict the impact of AI. It is not about autonomous forces, but about reflecting and amplifying the values and inequality of the society that shapes it.
To avoid what it calls “development disappointment,” UNDP encourages stronger global cooperation on AI governance, alignment of private innovation and public goals, and a new commitment to human dignity, equity and sustainability.
“2025 HDR is not a report on technology,” Steiner wrote in the introduction. “It’s a report about people, the ability to reinvent yourself in the face of deep change.”
Workers sew fabrics at apparel factories in Ghana.
