Barbara Bako, Bankok.
The World Bank Group is prioritising job creation and productivity growth, with artificial intelligence (AI) expected to expand economic opportunities in developing countries.
The Group’s President, Ajay Banga, made this known during a discussion on Small AI: More and Better Jobs at the 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday.
He emphasised the need to make technology accessible and relevant to local economies, particularly in developing countries seeking to create employment for their growing populations.
According to him, about 1.2 billion young people will turn 18 within the next 15 years, presenting countries with an opportunity to harness their demographic potential through productive employment.
Banga said realising this potential would require sustained investments in healthcare, education, clean water, electricity and skills development, alongside opportunities for young people to contribute meaningfully to society.
He noted that employment should extend beyond conventional jobs in large and small companies to include entrepreneurship and other productive activities that promote dignity and economic inclusion.
The World Bank president said job creation had become central to the institution’s development approach, supported by infrastructure investment, governance reforms and policies designed to attract private capital.
“The private sector generates between 75 and 85 per cent of jobs in any country,” he said.
Banga stressed that governments must establish an enabling environment for businesses to invest, expand their operations and create more employment opportunities.
He identified infrastructure, agriculture, primary healthcare, tourism and value-added manufacturing as five critical sectors capable of generating sustainable jobs in emerging economies.
According to him, developing these sectors could provide locally relevant employment opportunities without relying solely on outsourcing jobs from advanced economies.
On the role of artificial intelligence, Banga said small-scale AI applications could improve productivity in agriculture, education and healthcare, particularly in communities with limited access to specialised services.
He cited primary healthcare centres in Indonesia as an example, where nurses could use simple AI tools on mobile phones to assess patients’ symptoms and connect with doctors remotely.
Such applications, he explained, could help healthcare workers identify possible conditions, obtain medical guidance and arrange specialist appointments more efficiently.
Banga also highlighted agricultural technology initiatives designed to connect smallholder farmers and cooperatives with improved seeds, fertilisers, crop insurance, credit facilities and better market prices.
He said farmers could use basic mobile phones to identify crop diseases and access recommendations, enabling them to make informed decisions, improve yields and increase productivity.
The World Bank president said these examples demonstrated how relatively simple AI tools could address practical challenges in developing economies and improve access to essential services.
He acknowledged that advanced AI models could disrupt some jobs in developed economies but argued that smaller-scale applications offered significant opportunities to raise productivity and support employment in middle- and lower-middle-income countries.
Banga said his priority was to see practical small-AI applications deployed across as many emerging markets as possible, with the aim of making technology a tool for economic inclusion, productivity growth and job creation.
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