📈 World Bank Launches First Digital Strategy to Drive Global Jobs and AI Readiness

The World Bank Group has unveiled its inaugural digital strategy to bridge the global digital divide, accelerate job creation, and foster adoption of "small AI" across developing economies. • Key Global Context & Demographics: • Youth Demographic Challenge: 1.2 Bn youth in developing nations will reach working age over the next 10–15 years against only 420 Mn projected job creations. • Digital Divide Gap: Over 2 Bn people remained offline in 2025. Only 23% in low-income nations use the internet vs. 94% in high-income countries. • Four Strategic Pillars: • Expanding Connectivity: Modernizing subsea, national, and local broadband infrastructure through public-private capital mobilization. • Affordable Devices & Data: Partnering with OEMs and telecom operators to lower costs for entry-level smartphones and broadband. • Digital Services & Skills: Developing robust digital ID, payment systems, and workforce skills training. • AI Readiness: Fostering "small AI" tailored for practical local uses and launching the AI Infrastructure and Readiness Initiative with partners like NVIDIA. • Key Priority Sectors: • Drives job creation, productivity, and financing access across ICT/BPM, agribusiness, tourism, healthcare, infrastructure and energy, and value-added manufacturing. • Serves as a vital framework for developing economies to strengthen local ICT/BPM capabilities, improve digital public services, and bolster economic diversification.