Global South op‑ed calls for safer, fairer AI after Africa‑hosted G20

Summary

Bangladesh’s Financial Express runs an opinion column arguing that artificial intelligence must become both safer and more inclusive if it is to deliver on promises made at the recent G20 summit held in Africa. The author highlights calls from India’s Prime Minister for a ‘human‑centric, open‑source’ global AI compact, South Africa’s push for an ‘AI for Africa’ strategy, and a new $1 billion UAE‑backed ‘AI for Development’ initiative aimed at education, healthcare and climate resilience on the continent. At the same time, the piece warns that low‑income countries lack high‑quality, interoperable data and robust AI laws, leaving them vulnerable to deepfakes, viral misinformation and exploitative business models that reward sensational content. The op‑ed urges governments to adopt EU‑style AI regulation, strengthen statistical systems, train judges and police on digital evidence, and invest heavily in digital literacy so citizens can resist AI‑driven manipulation rather than becoming collateral damage of the next tech boom.