Passengers in Flight: AI Governance Capacity in the Global South

The rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI) raises profound governance questions for all societies. However, the discourse on AI governance thus far has been led by a small number of countries that are the leaders in AI technology. Little research has been done on how Global South countries can enhance their AI governance capacity. Are the countries of the Global South simply “passengers in flight” – passive adopters of AI technology, norms, and governance practices developed elsewhere? How much priority should Global South countries give to AI governance, and the development of AI governance capacity, in light of the numerous other pressing challenges they face? This article argues that the Global South “passengers in flight” indeed do have the ability to take meaningful steps to improve their AI governance capacity. The first step is to have a conceptual framework for AI governance capacity, which the article recommends would consist of three elements: (i) Steering AI in the Global South will be a long-term process; (ii) Distributional outcomes of AI in the Global South will be socially-determined; and (iii) Enhancing AI governance capacity in Global South countries requires systematic action and learning at the national level. Thus the pressing challenge of governing AI is not primarily a search for today’s most comprehensive regulation, but rather a long-term process of taking practical, proactive local steps to generate knowledge, enact targeted local policies and gain experience and capacity over time. To apply this framework to the diverse conditions in countries of the Global South, the article recommends a process of assessment, policy action and evaluation, as well as several specific areas of policy consideration for national policymakers, academics, enterprises, media and civil society in the Global South. Through a process of systematic development of national AI governance capacity, the passengers in flight can gain a higher degree of agency, and thus better shape their AI journey.