AI rising: Emerging economies, emerging opportunities | 2026 Global Inclusive Growth Forum

Artificial intelligence is one of the most consequential forces shaping the future of the Global South—and its impact may be even more transformative there than in other markets. From expanding financial inclusion through digital credit and payments to improving crop yields with data-driven insights, AI can compress decades of development into years. At the same time, we must ask what it takes to unlock this potential responsibly: investing in digital infrastructure, skills, and local innovation ecosystems while addressing risks around bias, data governance, and inequality. This conversation highlights why the Global South is not just a testing ground for AI, but a source of innovation, resilience, and new models of inclusive growth that can shape the global AI landscape Moderator Steve Clemons Editor at Large, The National Interest Speakers Olubayo Adekanmbi CEO/Co-Founder, EqualyzAI Vilas Dhar President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo Founder & Scientific Director, Technecultura