G20 Summit | AI, new digital technologies took center stage: Neo Letswalo

The article discusses the G20 summit's emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies as drivers of sustainable development and inequality reduction. Leaders praised progress by the AI and data governance task force and South Africa's role in promoting responsible innovation. In an interview, post-doctoral research fellow Neo Litzwan from the Southern Center for Inequality Studies highlights the fragmented global data governance landscape, contrasting the EU's strict data localization under GDPR with the USMCA's liberal approach, which fosters 'splinternet' fragmentation. He stresses the need for standardized yet region-specific AI regulations, particularly in Africa and the global south, to counter a one-size-fits-all model from the global north that risks embedding biases and exacerbating inequalities. Litzwan advocates for harmonized frameworks respecting national aspirations, culture, and heritage to avoid AI-driven disparities. The G20 declaration calls for incorporating voices from developed and developing nations to fully harness AI's potential through information sharing. The interview ends abruptly due to technical issues, underscoring the ongoing push for equitable, inclusive AI governance.