Geneva [Switzerland], May 6 (ANI/ WAM): The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released a new report highlighting an unprecedented slowdown in global human development. The report indicates that progress on the Human Development Index (HDI), which tracks achievements in health, education, and income, has significantly decelerated.
Instead of witnessing a sustained recovery following the crises of 2020-2021, the report reveals that the rise in human development is the weakest since 1990, excluding those crisis years. Projections for 2024 show stalled progress across all regions, marking the smallest global increase in HDI since the 1990s.
The 2025 Human Development Report, titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, underscores the urgent need for action in addressing global development challenges. The report also explores how AI could reignite development.
Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, expressed concern that if the sluggish pace of development in 2024 becomes the “new normal,” the 2030 milestone for high human development could be delayed by decades. This would result in a world that is more divided, insecure, and vulnerable to economic and ecological shocks.
The report further highlights the widening inequality between Low HDI and Very High HDI countries, a reversal of a long-term trend that had seen diminishing gaps between wealthier and poorer nations. Development challenges are especially severe for countries with the lowest HDI scores, which face increasing trade tensions, a worsening debt crisis, and jobless industrialization.
Amidst this turmoil, the report advocates for urgent exploration of new ways to drive development, particularly through the potential of AI. Steiner noted that while AI is not a cure-all, the right choices could open up new possibilities for global progress.
A survey included in the report revealed that people worldwide are both realistic and hopeful about AI’s potential. Half of global respondents believe their jobs could be automated, with a larger share—six in ten—expecting AI to create new job opportunities. Low- and medium-HDI countries are particularly optimistic, with 70% believing AI will boost productivity and two-thirds expecting its application in education, health, and work within the next year.
The report advocates for a human-centered approach to AI, emphasizing collaboration between people and technology. It highlights three critical areas for action: fostering an economy where people work with AI, embedding human agency throughout the AI lifecycle, and modernizing education and health systems to meet 21st-century demands.
Pedro Conceicao, Director of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office, stated, “The choices we make in the coming years will define the legacy of this technological transition for human development.” He added that with the right policies and a focus on people, AI could become a crucial bridge to new knowledge, skills, and ideas, empowering everyone from farmers to small business owners.
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