AI could either narrow or dangerously widen the economic divide: Microsoft's Brad Smith

Artificial intelligence (AI) could either narrow or dangerously widen the economic divide between the global north and the global south if access is not expanded urgently, warned Brad Smith, vice chair and president, Microsoft.

Speaking at a panel discussion organised by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum on scaling AI to over eight billion people, Smith said AI adoption is already uneven. While about 25% of the working population in developed economies is using AI, usage in the global south remains at just 14%, and the gap is growing. “AI will either close the great divides of our time or make them worse,” Smith said, calling unequal access to technology the root cause of global economic disparity.

“Technology only transforms economies when skills spread across society,” Smith added, stressing the need for large-scale skilling alongside investments in data centres, connectivity, and power infrastructure across developing regions. He also highlighted the importance of building local language AI systems that function as well as those in English to drive wider adoption.


“Simplicity is what will decide whether AI truly reaches everyone,” said Aparna Bawa, COO, Zoom, noting that AI tools must be intuitive for small businesses, educators, and everyday users to benefit without technical barriers. She said that easy-to-use design is essential for turning AI into a mass productivity tool rather than a specialist technology.

“AI is pushing the world into an intuition economy,” said Bipul Sinha, CEO, Rubrik, where machines handle routine intelligence while humans focus on creating new ideas and connections. He added that AI is levelling access to knowledge, allowing “individuals in small towns to compete with those in major global tech hubs.”

“India’s biggest opportunity in AI is not building massive models but building massive adoption,” said Umesh Sachdev, CEO, Uniphore, arguing that the country should prioritise AI-driven applications across sectors like education, healthcare, and agriculture. He warned that over-regulation too early could slow innovation in a fast-evolving field.