Introduction
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming societies worldwide, but the narrative has often been dominated by perspectives from the Global North. The Global South nations — including countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America — are increasingly asserting themselves in discussions about AI’s development, governance, and impacts, demanding ethical, inclusive, and culturally sensitive approaches tailored to their unique contexts.
Global South’s Distinct Challenges and Aspirations
The use of AI in the Global South presents unique challenges, such as linguistic exclusion that sometimes results in systemic discrimination. This exclusion impedes entire populations from accessing essential services like healthcare, finance, and education, as AI systems often fail to accommodate local languages and socio-cultural realities.
Despite these challenges, Global South actors are not passive recipients but rather active shapers of AI’s future. For example, the African Union has launched its AI Strategy, and the BRICS nations collaborate on developing inclusive AI governance frameworks.
Emerging Regional Models
India, a digital powerhouse and BRICS member, advocates for a multipolar digital order emphasizing data sovereignty and ethical AI aligned with its development priorities. ASEAN countries illustrate a “Third Way” approach that diverges from the Silicon Valley capitalist and China’s state-centric AI models. Countries such as Indonesia emphasize locally grounded AI regulations, while Singapore and Thailand explore inclusive standards reflective of regional diversity.
In early 2025, ASEAN released an expanded AI Governance Guide, aiming to propose a Southeast Asian framework for AI governance. This framework stresses cultural sensitivity, development-oriented AI deployment, and regional cooperation — which challenges the predominant Western and Chinese frameworks.
Challenges to Collective Governance
Despite these regional initiatives, disparities in AI readiness across ASEAN nations remain significant. Singapore ranks 2nd globally for AI readiness, while other member states lag far behind. This disparity complicates collective governance efforts and calls for cooperative measures to address these imbalances.
AI Adoption in Journalism
AI’s transformative impact is also evident in journalism across the Global South. A 2025 report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation surveyed over 200 journalists from more than 70 countries in the Global South and emerging markets. It found that 81.7% of journalists use AI tools regularly, with nearly half using them daily.
These AI tools include generative AI for drafting, editing, transcription, fact-checking, and research, raising efficiency and creativity in newsrooms. Tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, Otter, and Canva have become essential, highlighting that AI is already deeply integrated into journalistic workflows in these regions.
Conclusion
The Global South’s engagement with AI is multifaceted: its challenges around inclusion and readiness, its innovative regional governance models, and its embracing of AI in sectors such as journalism reveal a dynamic and critical perspective that must factor into global conversations about AI’s future. As these nations advocate for frameworks that respect local contexts and priorities, the future of AI is not monolithic but shaped by diverse, global voices.
Author’s note: This article is based on insights from NetMission Digest Issue #32 and the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s 2025 report on AI in Global South journalism.
