World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence
In a time when development progress has dipped to its weakest pace in 75 years, artificial intelligence (AI) offers developing economies a rare path to greater prosperity. World Development Report 2026 provides the first comprehensive assessment of what AI means for these economies - how firms and governments are already using it, what is holding them back, where the largest gains may lie, and how the risks can be managed.
The Report offers a clear framework- adopt, adapt, and advance - for the road ahead to help countries capture AI’s benefits without wasting scarce resources or deepening dependence on any single supplier. Earlier technological revolutions left much of the developing world behind. This landmark edition of the World Development Report offers developing economies a roadmap to prevent a repeat of that outcome.
