Anthropic has raised alarms about the potential widening of the global wealth gap due to advancements in artificial intelligence. The startup's research, based on over two million user interactions, highlights that the benefits of AI technologies, such as its chat model Claude, may disproportionately favor wealthier nations, leaving lower-income countries behind. The analysis indicates that higher-income regions are leading in AI adoption, which raises concerns about economic disparities.
Peter McCrory, Anthropic’s head of economics, noted that there is currently “no evidence yet” that lower-income nations are benefiting from AI in the same way. Factors such as the need for reliable electricity, high-speed internet, and modern hardware create significant barriers for poorer countries, making participation in the AI economy challenging. Moreover, Microsoft’s research supports these findings, showing a stark contrast in AI adoption rates between the “global north” and the “global south.”
The complexities of AI's impact on productivity are further emphasized by a study from MIT, revealing that 95% of businesses investing in generative AI have not realized a net-positive return on investment. Additionally, employee skepticism about AI's benefits is notable, with surveys indicating that a majority believe AI tools have negatively affected their productivity rather than enhancing it.