The 'looming AI divide': how global cooperation can help | Amandeep Gill

In this episode of the AI Futures podcast, Anirudh Suri sits down with UN Under-Secretary General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, Amandeep Gill. USG Gill offers a glimpse into the global governance of AI, the "looming AI divide," and the urgent need for international cooperation to prevent a "second great divergence" between the Global North and South. The conversation dives deep into the high-stakes risks of concentration of power, the sustainability crisis facing AI infrastructure, and the human impact on children’s mental health and cognitive development. Questions unpacked in this episode: - What new mechanisms is the UN building to ensure all countries can shape the AI future? - Will AI trigger a “second great divergence”? - Why does a single Chinese university have more compute power than the entire continent of Africa? - Are we facing a “cognitive decline” due to the increasing use of AI? - How do we ensure global AI standards are tech-neutral and inclusive, rather than set by dominant powers? - How can countries like India and Nigeria move from “market bystanders” to active players in the AI ecosystem? - Will AI create new productive opportunities—or displace the entry-level coders and data analysts of tomorrow? 🔔 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now. This series is a collaboration between AI Futures Podcast & Hindustan Times.