SEOUL, South Korea / RankWire.AI / – The World Bank Group introduced its first-ever digital strategy on Tuesday, with the goal of aiding developing nations in expanding accessible digital infrastructure, enhancing service quality, and generating employment. This initiative merges the bank’s capabilities across the public and private sectors into a unified framework. The announcement took place in Seoul on October 20 during the group’s Global AI and Digital Summit, which was co-hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of Finance and Economy along with the Ministry of Science and ICT.
The strategy highlights four key focus areas for the upcoming years. The first involves expanding dependable connectivity, covering everything from international cables to networks serving homes, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities. The second emphasizes making entry-level smartphones and data more affordable. The third pertains to digital services and skills development, including digital identification, payments, and employment-oriented training. The fourth aims to help nations establish the foundational infrastructure necessary to benefit from artificial intelligence. Privacy protections, cybersecurity, and fraud prevention are integrated across all four priorities.
Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, stated that digital technology has the potential to assist countries in creating jobs and utilizing limited resources more efficiently. Achieving this potential, he explained, requires a holistic approach that includes reliable connectivity, affordable devices, and practical services. Banga further noted that the strategy consolidates these elements to benefit client nations. He also promoted what he called small AI, describing it as AI for the people. These tools are designed to leverage local data, local languages, and low-cost technology instead of relying on expensive, large-scale models.
Developing nations face an increasing employment deficit
The unveiling coincides with a challenging period for developing countries, which are dealing with limited resources and a rising demand for jobs. Over the next decade and a half, approximately 1.2 billion young individuals will enter the workforce in these regions. Meanwhile, their economies are expected to generate only around 420 million new jobs within the same timeframe. The World Bank Group considers digital solutions as a means to bridge this employment gap. Technology, it asserts, can support businesses in reaching customers, boosting productivity, and gaining access to financing.
The bank anticipates that digital innovations will bolster employment opportunities across its five core sectors: infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and value-added manufacturing. Digital platforms can also reduce the costs involved in delivering public services to citizens. The strategy integrates financing, policy guidance, private sector investments, and guarantees, providing a foundation for collaboration with governments, tech firms, development partners, and philanthropic organizations. In recent years, multilateral lenders have already increased their direct financing to emerging markets.
Large portions of the population remain unconnected as AI efforts commence
According to the World Bank Group, significant obstacles still hinder digital access. Over 2 billion people globally were offline in 2025. In low-income nations, only 23% of the population used the internet, compared to 94% in high-income countries. Many individuals live within network coverage but cannot afford smartphones or data plans. Others lack digital skills or have insufficient access to services tailored to their needs.
Alongside the digital strategy, the bank announced the AI Infrastructure and Readiness Initiative. This program will assist governments in emerging markets by providing affordable computing resources through shared, pay-as-you-go GPU infrastructure, offering an alternative to establishing independent national data centers. Cassava Technologies and NVIDIA are designated as knowledge partners for this project. Its initial focus will be on Africa and Latin America, where the group aims to harness small AI to generate tangible benefits.