Accelerating Artificial Intelligence Investment in Emerging Markets

Where do you start when preparing a country for the AI era?

It's a question more governments and investors are asking. The World Bank Group's new handbook, Accelerating Artificial Intelligence Investment in Emerging Markets, offers exactly that: a practical roadmap for building an AI ecosystem from the ground up that drives growth and jobs.

For the public sector, it maps out how governments can create an enabling environment covering data governance, digital infrastructure, procurement and institutional capacity so that AI can take root and scale. For the private sector, it identifies where to deploy capital, which problems are ripe for AI-driven solutions, and how to distinguish genuine innovation.

Investing in the AI ecosystems means countries can build local capacity, resilience and the ability to shape the AI economy. For many developing economies, the starting point may be small AI: resource-efficient AI solutions designed around local constraints and opportunities. These systems address immediate needs while helping build local talent, data ecosystems, and investable companies capable of scaling over time.