Investment in R&D of AI: Evidence from the Global South

The past decade has witnessed the world fast-forwarding into the fifth industrial revolution, aka the era of AI. Many things that were only possible in fiction novels or Hollywood movies are now part of our daily reality. It is inevitable that AI will keep changing our world forever. While some countries are embracing AI’s astonishingly increased productivity and convenience, many other countries fear the increased probability of being left behind. No surprise to none, the dividing line of AI, once again, is the same line that had divided the developing countries from the developed ones—or, more politically correctly expressed, the Global South vs. the Global North. This study is to provide a brief review of the current state of play of the major Global South countries in the AI field, including their respective AI investment activities, challenges and opportunities they face individually and as a group, as well as competitive advantages that existed with them, even though for the most part, all Global South countries are fallen short of money, talent, and infrastructure—which are essentially vital resources, in the race of AI development.