Adapt or Fall Behind: Artificial Intelligence and the New Global Development Imperative

By: Renee Sharapov

In the 21st century, the implementation of artificial intelligence into economies and societies has been increasingly debated in the global community. Developed states like the US have begun incorporating new technologies into the daily lives of residents, investing in future workforce productivity and decreasing socioeconomic inequality. Such new policies have inspired developing nations to follow suit, with states like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) diversifying their own economies and investing in human-capital development. This pattern of emerging nations mirroring policy advancements of larger states is especially critical in the era of rapid technological modernization, as poorer governments risk widening the digital divide and falling further behind in the global economic hierarchy.

The American Education Divide​

​In states such as the USA, chatbots have been essential tools that have expanded access to academic resources and, in turn, decreased the class-based education divide. In the last decade, the gap between varying American social classes has considerably widened, with young children being at the center of this division. According to the Hechinger Report, there has been a documented 40 percent increase in the number of school-aged children living in poverty between 2000 and 2012, from one out of every seven children to one out of every five students (Barshay). 

To establish the root of this socioeconomic problem, it is necessary to analyze the economic poverty cycle and the correlation between education and class. The theory states that low savings and low income are locked into a cycle of low capital investments and human productivity (“The Cycle of Poverty — and How We Break It, Explained”). In reality, when a family has low income, they are unable to afford private education, expensive tutors, and the most up-to-date resources for their children. This may cause them to fall behind in school, which impacts the foundation of basic reasoning skills, determines college acceptances, and predicts a child’s socioeconomic future. Research by Forbes found that early academic performance is “linked to more advanced degrees, and it would only make sense that higher grades are linked to higher salaries”(Frazier). Therefore, disproportionate access to academic resources and education limits their children’s earning potential and locks them into a generational cycle as they grow. 

AI Integration Into Classrooms

​Recently, the United States began efforts to counteract this cycle by implementing AI chatbots in classrooms. In July 2025, the US Department of Education issued guidance confirming that AI can be used in schools when aligned with federal laws. States like Rhode Island have published detailed recommendations for responsible class with frameworks grounded in privacy, equity, and oversight (The Times of India). In response, many schools have begun to incorporate education-specific chatbot models such as Flint, SchoolHub.AI, and EduGPT into classrooms. Many of which act as a learning tool, to democratize access to quality education by creating personalized learning resources for underserved communities (Cingillioglu). With the implementation of these resources, underserved children now have access to 24-hour tutors who can customize explanations catered to their learning styles and levels. When a study was conducted by the Journal of Internet Technology, it was found that when middle school biology students were given access to an AI Chatbot tutor, their achievement on exams significantly increased compared to their peers who did not use the tool (Lin and Ye). As they are increasingly implemented, it is expected that these AI resources will help students with less access to resources score better on exams and, in turn, bridge the performance gap between low-income and high-income schools.

The Congolese Digital Modernization Plan 

Such new policies implemented by nations like the United States have resulted in emerging countries following suit. For instance, the Democratic Republic of Congo has recently launched an $8.7 billion plan to expand digital infrastructure and AI skills by 2030. This includes the launch of a training program for 250,000 young individuals to improve workforce productivity and human capital. Other programs include a memorandum with Cisco and Cybastion for digital-skills training and the World Bank to expand students' and teachers' awareness of technology (Whitehead). 

The Congolese Resource Curse

This policy comes in an effort by the Congolese government to reduce the existing resource curse occurring in their economy. With the rise of AI and technological advancements, more pressure than ever is set upon mineral-producing nations to meet the demand of large corporations and states. In terms of the DRC, the nation is extremely rich in the mineral cobalt, which is used in the development of semiconductors and chips to enhance technological performance and reliability. With such high demand, the Congo’s cobalt exports alone total to $4.44 billion, representing 68% of the world's cobalt (International Trade Administration). However, heavy mineral reliance has resulted in much of the population working as factory and artisanal miners: an extremely dangerous and low-earning field. 

The issue with much of the Congolese economy and workforce being mineral - based is the resource curse, a theory that states that their abundant resources are actually fueling inequalities and corruption. Political scientists and economists argue that resource wealth from oil, minerals, and gas is different from other types because of their upfront costs, lengthy production timeline, site-specific nature, price volatility, non-renewable form, and corruption within the industry (Natural Resource Governance Institute). Consequently, when a state becomes extremely specialized in one sector like cobalt, it leaves it more vulnerable to extreme economic shocks and downturns. Hence, investing in digital training programs is an effort by the gocernment diversify their economy and increase productivity on a large scale.

The Risk of the Digital Divide

Although it is true that mirroring the United States policy regarding AI has benefits for the DRC, the actual following suit of a more developed government by the Democratic Republic of Congo represents a larger issue within the international community. Specifically, if states do not implement policies that align with larger nations, they risk falling behind and becoming subject to a phenomenon called the digital divide. As defined by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, this gap occurs between “those who have affordable access, skills, and support to effectively engage online and those who do not” (National Digital Inclusion Alliance). Without proactive policy measures, developing countries may experience slower economic growth compared to technologically advanced nations. As a result, this can increase the scale of monetary influence larger state actors have on them and their reliance on foreign aid.  As the United Nations has warned, without the implementation of inclusive policy frameworks, the benefits of AI advancements will only be experienced by the world’s elite, exacerbating existing global inequalities and marginalizing less diversified economies (United Nations, “AI’s $4.8 Trillion Future: UN Warns of Widening Digital Divide without Urgent Action”). Therefore, technological modernization is no longer optional; it is increasingly a requirement for economic competitiveness and influence in the 21st century.

​In conclusion, artificial intelligence is society’s new double-edged sword, with the potential to improve social and economic equality across states while also being able to promote divides. In developed nations, chatbot implementation has had many realized impacts, especially when discussing access to education and resources for low-income individuals. It has opened access to high-revenue industries for people coming from impoverished backgrounds, which in turn has created the opportunity for increased productivity for nations as a whole. These benefits have swayed emerging states like the DRC to also adopt AI-promoting policies in an effort to diversify their economy and increase workforce capacity. 

However, if other governments do not act as the DRC did in reference to AI policy, they risk exacerbating differences in wealth and power on the global stage. Thus, going forward, both developed and underdeveloped nations alike must ensure that artificial intelligence is taken advantage of now, or they run the risk of being marginalized in a rapidly modernizing world.

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