World Bank Backs Practical AI Tools to Boost Jobs in Developing Countries

By Atlantic Reports

The World Bank Group is prioritising job creation and productivity, with President Ajay Banga advocating practical artificial intelligence tools that help farmers, healthcare workers and small businesses in developing countries.

Speaking on Monday during a discussion on small-scale AI at the 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, Banga said technology must be accessible and suited to local economic needs. The meetings run from October 12 to 18. thailand.prd.go.th

He said about 1.2 billion young people would turn 18 over the next 15 years, creating an opportunity for countries to expand productive employment.

Turning that demographic potential into economic gains, he said, would require investment in healthcare, education, clean water, electricity and skills, alongside opportunities for young people to put their abilities to use.

Banga argued that employment should encompass entrepreneurship and other productive activities, as well as jobs within established companies.

He said the World Bank’s development approach placed job creation at the centre of infrastructure investment, governance reforms and policies intended to attract private capital.

“The private sector generates between 75 and 85 per cent of jobs in any country,” he said, stressing that governments must create conditions that encourage businesses to invest and expand.

Banga identified infrastructure, agriculture, primary healthcare, tourism and value-added manufacturing as five sectors with significant employment potential in emerging economies.

He said these sectors could generate jobs rooted in local needs rather than relying solely on work outsourced from advanced economies.

On AI, Banga highlighted relatively simple applications that could help workers improve productivity, particularly in communities with limited access to specialist services.

He cited primary healthcare centres in Indonesia, where nurses could use mobile phone tools to assess symptoms and connect patients with remote doctors.

According to Banga, such applications could support healthcare workers in obtaining medical guidance and arranging specialist appointments more efficiently.

He also discussed agricultural technology initiatives linking smallholder farmers and cooperatives to improved seeds, fertilisers, crop insurance, credit and better market prices.

Farmers could use mobile tools to identify crop diseases and obtain recommendations, he said, helping them make better-informed decisions.

Banga distinguished these practical applications from advanced AI systems that could disrupt employment in developed economies. He argued that small-scale AI offered opportunities to raise productivity and support job creation in middle- and lower-middle-income countries.

His priority, he said, was to expand the deployment of useful AI applications across emerging markets.

The remarks outlined a development approach rather than a new funding announcement. No specific financing commitments, deployment targets or implementation timetable were detailed in the supplied account.

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