Geneva, Switzerland — The recent UNCTAD eWeek in Geneva, Switzerland, provided an opportunity to highlight key issues surrounding AI risks, while also emphasizing efforts to support e-commerce in developing countries.
Keeping an eye on AI
AI offers both immense opportunities and challenges for global economies. It’s playing an increasing role in the digital economy, from revolutionizing data analytics to personalizing service industries. However, AI raises critical questions about privacy, data security, and the ethical use of technology.
Experts at UNCTAD eWeek 2023 believe AI cannot be left unchecked. “It’s essential that our approach to AI development aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, effectively addressing potential risks and creating a digital future that is open, free, secure, and centered around human needs,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said on December 6.
It’s essential that our approach to AI development aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, effectively addressing potential risks and creating a digital future that is open, free, secure, and centered around human needs.
UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan
The fact is governance frameworks lag behind AI’s rapid advancement, raising concerns about the risks associated with the growing gap. This includes the misuse of technology, which could proliferate misinformation and instigate unfounded conflicts.
eWeek experts pointed to an alarming risk identified as “knowledge slavery,” where a centralized AI system could monopolize and control access to historical and new knowledge.
UNCTAD’s Technology and Innovation Report 2023 revealed that 50 percent of AI publications and patent filings were in the hands of a few economic superpowers like China, the U.K., and the U.S., leaving many countries and emerging economies on the receiving end of AI development.
Additionally, Big Tech controls most of the data flows and revenues from digital services associated with AI, exacerbating existing technology divides.
UNCTAD advocates for a harmonized approach and inclusive digital cooperation to ensure that advancements in AI align with universal values and human rights.
E-commerce support to developing countries
In November 2023, Australia allocated $2 million to bolster UNCTAD’s work on and capacity building for e-commerce and the digital economy in developing countries for the 2023-2026 period.
The program’s initial phase, implemented over the past three years, includes the Solomon Islands’ National E-Commerce Strategy and the Digital Economy Report: Pacific Edition 2022.
Australia’s ambassador to the World Trade Organization, George Mina, said that Australia was looking forward to supporting the work of developing countries in the Indo-Pacific region to connect and do business globally.
The new funding will enhance UNCTAD’s work on eTrade Readiness Assessments, e-commerce strategies, and their implementation.
This financial contribution will also help expand UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women initiative in South and Southeast Asia. Research by the International Finance Corporation on women and e-commerce in Southeast Asia indicates that the region’s e-commerce market could grow by $280 billion by 2030.
Meanwhile, Kenya launched a national e-commerce strategy last December 13 to solidify its position as a digital frontrunner in Africa.
“Kenya’s e-commerce strategy lays the foundation for trust-building among businesses and consumers, making e-commerce more accessible and beneficial for all, including marginalized groups,” said Shamika N. Sirimanne, director of technology and logistics at UNCTAD.
Kenya’s internet penetration, which has reached 96 percent for 3G or 4G coverage, along with modern mobile payment solutions like M-Pesa, has significantly driven e-commerce growth in the country.
World Bank figures indicate that online shopping in Kenya surged from 9 percent in 2017 to 16 percent in 2021, the third-highest rate in Africa after Mauritius and Tunisia. The Q2 2022 B2C E-commerce Survey projected that the e-commerce market in Kenya grew by 30 percent annually, reaching $2.2 billion in 2022.
The strategy envisions inclusive participation for all Kenyans, regardless of geographic location, age, gender, or abilities, while focusing on reducing e-commerce costs and improving the speed of transactions.
Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Industry, Rebecca Miano, said: “The Kenya national e-commerce strategy is not just a document. It is our visionary response to the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital age.