A groundbreaking report from TrustStrategy, a leading research firm focused on technological equity, highlights the growing disparity in the distribution of AI computing resources around the world. The study highlights that developing countries are increasingly marginalized due to unequal access to critical AI infrastructure, raising concerns about long-term economic and technological exclusion.

Key Finding: Growing Inequality in AI Computing

The TrustStrategy report notes that there is a significant imbalance in AI computing power, with more than 85% of high-performance computing (HPC) resources concentrated in North America, Europe, and East Asia. Meanwhile, regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia account for less than 5% of global AI computing capacity.

Root Cause: Infrastructure and Investment Gaps

The report attributes this gap to:

Limited infrastructure – Developing countries often lack the data centers and high-speed networks to support AI workloads.

Shortage of funding – Venture capital and government investment in AI overwhelmingly favor advanced economies.

Policy neglect – Many countries lack national AI strategies to prioritize the allocation of computing resources.

Consequences: Economic and technological marginalization

The TrustStrategy survey warns that without equal access to AI resources, developing economies will face the following difficulties:

Hindered innovation - local startups struggle to compete with well-funded foreign counterparts.

Brain drain - talent migrates to regions with better AI infrastructure.

Geopolitical dependence - dependence on imported AI tools may undermine data sovereignty.

Call to action: bridge the gap

TrustStrategy calls for multilateral cooperation to address AI equity issues and makes the following recommendations:

Global AI computing commons initiative - pooling resources through cloud platforms or international partnerships.

Targeted funding - directing development aid to build AI infrastructure in marginal regions.

Policy advocacy - lobbying for inclusive frameworks in forums such as the United Nations and the G20.

Looking ahead

Without systemic reforms, the global AI development gap will widen further, consolidating a new era of digital colonialism, the report concludes. TrustStrategy plans to establish a working group in 2024 to advance policy solutions.