The World Bank wants poorer nations to adopt 'small AI,' compact, specialized models that run on basic mobile phones even with weak signals. Paschal Donohoe, the bank's chief knowledge officer, says such tools could speed growth if they fit local needs, such as soil analysis in local languages for Indian farmers.
The World Bank wants poorer nations to adopt what it calls “small AI”: compact, specialized models that run on a basic mobile phone, even when the signal is weak.
Paschal Donohoe, the bank’s chief knowledge officer and a former Irish finance minister, told the Guardian that artificial intelligence could speed up growth in emerging economies. He said it would do so only if the tools fit local needs.
What is small AI?
Small AI relies on models trained on narrower data for a single task. Donohoe said these tools can work with weak connections, on phones and in local languages. He argued that growth that might have taken centuries in the countries the bank serves could now happen much faster. “The potential is there for that economic development now to happen within decades,” he said.
Why could small AI help poorer nations?
Donohoe pointed to Indian farmers in the bank’s AgriConnect scheme, who need soil analysis in their own language. “There’s not going to be enough scientists and agricultural experts to do that for every small farm in India,” he said. He added that such products could come from the World Bank, governments and private companies working together.
AI was a central theme at the recent World Bank and IMF meetings in Bangkok. Georgieva said governments must first provide power, digital infrastructure and protection from bad actors. “If we work hard to have the basics for it, [adoption] can be very democratic. As democratic as the cellphone,” she said.
How wide are the infrastructure gaps?
The gaps are wide. The World Bank’s August development report found that almost a third of rural schools in sub-Saharan Africa had no electricity.
Georgieva also warned that 40% of jobs worldwide are likely to be changed or wiped out by AI over time. Young people starting their careers face the greatest risk, she said, because entry-level roles are the ones disappearing. The IMF has also said AI investment is propping up global growth.
Donohoe said the World Bank had raised $120 billion in private capital over the past year, even as countries including the United States and the United Kingdom cut aid budgets.
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