Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping digital infrastructure across Asia and the Pacific, but persistent gaps in network speed, reliability and computing power could deepen existing inequalities, according to a newly released report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The Asia-Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2026 warns that the next digital divide may extend beyond access to the Internet. While the region records an average Digital Transformation Index (DTI) score of 50.28, above the global average of 49.63, significant differences remain in innovation capacity and institutional conditions. Digital development outcomes in high-income economies in the region are nearly four times higher than in low-income economies.
The report argues that the convergence of artificial intelligence, advanced networks, computing and data is changing the role of digital infrastructure. Rather than simply carrying information, networks and related systems are increasingly being developed to analyse information and support real-time decision-making.
Such capabilities could help countries respond to some of the region’s most pressing challenges. AI-enabled infrastructure could improve disaster response and public services while making transport, energy and other critical systems more efficient. However, the benefits will depend on whether countries can develop the infrastructure and institutional capacity required to use these technologies effectively.
“Ensuring that AI-native network infrastructure benefits all economies of the region, rather than deepening existing inequalities, will require deliberate and coordinated policy action by Governments individually and through regional cooperation,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
The report highlights practical applications of AI-enabled infrastructure, including SatGPT, which can generate maps showing areas vulnerable to flooding from simple prompts. Such tools could help speed up emergency responses. The report also identifies best practices for using AI and digital technologies in early warning systems.
The report was launched today at the opening of the ESCAP Committee on Information and Communications Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation. Over three days, ministers and senior officials will consider measures to advance digital inclusion and transformation while strengthening regional cooperation to bridge the digital divide.
Central to those discussions will be the action plan of the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway initiative for 2027-2030. The proposed plan includes measures to strengthen resilient and cross-border digital infrastructure, improve public services through emerging technologies, encourage the sharing of innovative digital solutions and develop secure and trusted data systems.
It also calls for tailored support and knowledge-sharing for countries and communities facing the greatest barriers to adopting new technologies. The emphasis reflects the widening challenge identified by ESCAP: as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in networks, infrastructure and daily life, access alone may no longer determine who benefits from digital transformation.
The report therefore places regional cooperation alongside infrastructure development as a central requirement for ensuring that advances in AI and digital technologies do not reinforce existing disparities across Asia and the Pacific.
