SEOUL, South Korea / RankWire.AI / – On Tuesday, the World Bank Group unveiled its inaugural digital strategy with the goal of enabling developing nations to extend affordable digital access, enhance public services, and generate employment opportunities. This comprehensive plan integrates the lender’s capabilities across both the public and private sectors into a unified framework. The announcement took place during the group’s Global AI and Digital Summit held in Seoul on October 20, with co-hosts including South Korea’s Ministry of Finance and Economy and Ministry of Science and ICT.
The strategy outlines four key areas of focus for the upcoming years. The first emphasizes expanding dependable connectivity, covering everything from international submarine cables to networks that connect households, schools, and healthcare facilities. The second priority aims to lower the cost of entry-level smartphones and data plans. The third involves digital services and workforce skills, including digital identification, payment systems, and training linked to employment. The fourth element concentrates on aiding nations in establishing the necessary infrastructure to leverage artificial intelligence. Across all four domains, privacy, cybersecurity, and fraud prevention are integral safeguards.
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga emphasized that digital technology can facilitate job creation and optimize limited resources. He highlighted that unlocking this potential demands a holistic strategy, encompassing reliable connectivity, affordable devices, and accessible services. Banga further explained that the new strategy aligns these components for client countries. He promoted the idea of what he termed small AI, describing it as AI for the people, which relies on local data, local languages, and inexpensive technology instead of costly large-scale models.
Developing nations confront a growing employment gap
The rollout coincides with a period where developing countries face limited resources and an increasing demand for employment. Within the next 10 to 15 years, approximately 1.2 billion young individuals will reach working age in these regions. Meanwhile, their economies are expected to produce just about 420 million jobs during the same timeframe. The World Bank Group views digital tools as a vital strategy to bridge this divide. Technology is seen as a way to help businesses connect with customers, enhance productivity, and access financial services.
Digital technology is expected to support employment in five key sectors prioritized by the bank: infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and value-added manufacturing. Furthermore, digital systems can reduce the costs associated with delivering public services to citizens. The strategy combines financing, policy guidance, private sector investment, and guarantees, creating a foundation for collaboration with governments, tech firms, development partners, and philanthropic groups. In recent years, multilateral lenders have already increased their direct financing to developing economies.
Global connectivity remains limited as AI efforts commence
According to the World Bank Group, significant barriers to digital inclusion persist. In 2025, over 2 billion individuals worldwide remained offline. Only 23% of people in low-income countries accessed the internet, compared to 94% in high-income nations. Many live within network coverage areas but cannot afford smartphones or data plans, while others lack digital literacy or access to essential services tailored to their needs.
Alongside the strategy, the bank announced the AI Infrastructure and Readiness Initiative. This initiative aims to help governments in emerging markets gain access to affordable computing power through shared, pay-as-you-go GPU infrastructure, offering an alternative to building independent national data centers. Knowledge partners for this project include Cassava Technologies and NVIDIA. The initial focus will be on Africa and Latin America, where the group intends to utilize small AI to generate tangible benefits.