UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Technology and Innovation Report 2025 With Links and Brief Reflections: A.I. as a Public Productive Force

 

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The United Nations apparatus, like those inter-connected with the techno-bureaucracies of other large public and private institutions has a thing or two to say about Artificial Intelligence, but mostly about how it is to be consumed, who is to be consumed by it, what is to consumed, and who (or what) is to manage that platform of consumption and production.   And, in the usual course of things like this, the human is at the core--but not the human person. but the human person (and human collectives) as the central element of the productive forces  whose development must be aligned with the high quality production offered through A.I. platforms, the power over which is to be managed by and through forms and systems in which they participate. That was a point underscored in early April 2025 with the release of the Technology and Innovation Report 2025, released  the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The effort, while quite interesting, must be understood as yet another layer in a more complicated regulatory/managerial strategy in which the U.N. and its techno-bureaucratic apparatus seeks to align with leading forces in what might be influential blocs and then offer itself up as the aggregating/coordinating space in which those aligned approaches can be coordinated. (See, e.g., UN AI Advisory Body: "Final Report - Governing AI for Humanity"). Thus while the focus here is on AI as a productive force, the issue of the construction and control of that force is also an important element of the effort.

The focus on AI as a productive force has some quite interesting semiotic dimensions that then bleed into the way in which production, productive forces and their management is realized. None of this suggests a criticism or a judgment about its "goodness" or "badness": these actors are already all too far along beyond good and evil. Instead, they are deeply embedded in the semiotics of production. That, in turn, enables one to view the efforts in terms of its objects (the semiotic "firstness"--or "thingness" into which meaning is injected, or perhaps better projected). The signification of those objects (the semiotic "secondness" of character as a sign imposing a cognitive referent through, for example, names, characteristics and relational understanding of a thing with other things) within a framework in which their signified linkages are possible. The object of all of this effort (and the fancy conceptual framework) is is centered on interpretation, and therefore on the person or human  collective (this is a very human interaction) who cognitive cage makes it possible to identify and signify a thing and then bring that thing into the conceptual universe of the person to which object and signification relate (the semiotic "thirdness"). In this case, the object (AI) is signified as an instrument of human  production (its value and the point of its development) which is then ordered within the larger framework of human productivity and its managerial manifestations--its politics, economics, and sociology with reference to the human. 

Or, in the language of the United Nations apparatus and the Report Press Release (AI’s $4.8 trillion future: UN warns of widening digital divide without urgent action) explained:

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The Technology and Innovation Report 2025, released on Thursday by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), sounds the alarm on growing inequality in the AI landscape and lays out a roadmap for countries to harness AI’s potential.  The report shows that just 100 companies, mostly in the United States and China, are behind 40 per cent of the world’s private investment in research and development, highlighting a sharp concentration of power. At the same time, 118 countries – mostly from the Global South – are missing from global AI governance discussions altogether. UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan underlined the importance of stronger international cooperation to shift the focus “from technology to people,” and enable countries “to co-create a global artificial intelligence framework”. * * *

The report estimates that up to 40 percent of global jobs could be affected by AI.  While the technology brings new opportunities, especially through productivity gains and new industries, it also raises serious concerns about automation and job displacement – especially in economies where low-cost labour has been a competitive advantage. But it’s not all bad news. UNCTAD’s experts argue that AI is not just about replacing jobs – it can also create new industries and empower workers. If governments invest in reskilling, upskilling and workforce adaptation, they can ensure AI enhances employment opportunities rather than eliminate them. (Press Release)

 That is both the promise and the tragedy of the UN apparatus' engagement with and exploitation of AI. A.I. is both an object and a productive force.  It's "thingness" is valuable to the extent it is related to its significance--development, which is also its thirdness, its interpretive context in which the object and its significance become relevant. The Rpoert sketches the cognitive cage in which AI is understood, and instrumentalized. First, the Report constructs the trough into which AI is poured.

AI can fast-track the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), powering smart agriculture and energy grids, optimizing production and supply chains, improving water and city planning – and more. Case studies show AI boosts productivity and improves livelihoods – if supported by the right policies and skills * * *

AI is projected to hit $4.8 trillion by 2033. That’s a 25x increase in just 10 years. * * *  (Technology and Innovation Report 2025)

Technology and Innovation Report 2025

 

It then considers the control of the trough--not just in terms of the return from the deployment of this productive force, but also in terms of AI as a machine (another ·thing") the development of which accounts fr the substantial growth of the "feed" in the "trough." The (mis)alignment of equity and markets becomes the doorway through which the focus on productive forces, that is on the unequal distribution of the benefits of production in markets, becomes the centering element of the analytics about AI. The question, then, isn't focused on A.I. as such bit on A.I. as a more productive means of developing human productive forces.

But AI development is highly concentrated. Just 100 companies funded 40% of research and development (R&D) in 2022. None of them are based in developing countries except China. The United States and China account for about 33% of AI publications and 60% of AI patents. This imbalance is also seen in AI infrastructure.* * * Skills are also key – from data literacy to expert-level AI knowledge. But these skills are unevenly distributed. * * * AI could affect 40% of jobs worldwide, with workers in advanced economies more exposed. But it’s not all about potential job loss.In advanced economies, 27% of jobs could be enhanced by AI – boosting human skills rather than replacing workers.Generative AI can unlock major productivity gains – especially in services and knowledge work. (Technology and Innovation Report 2025)

High quality job capture comes the key and A.I. the pathway. But not just to better labor exploitation, but also to an ideology of labor engagement in ways that lend themselves to the stability of capital aggregating systems (including both its liberal democratic and Marxist-Leninist variants). 

Key policy priorities

Understand workforce dynamics. AI’s impact depends on a complex mix of automation, augmentation and new job creation. Policymakers must grasp these dynamics to ensure fair distribution of benefits and smooth transitions.
Accelerate AI adoption. Developing countries can speed up AI use by adapting solutions to local infrastructure, using alternative data sources, simplifying interfaces and building strategic partnerships to access key resources.
Empower workers. Inclusive AI must centre on people. That means promoting digital literacy, supporting reskilling and upskilling, and involving workers in designing AI tools for their jobs.
Promote human-complementary AI. Public R&D funding, smart procurement and tax incentives can promote AI that complements human work. Clear career paths and better job opportunities can reduce the risk of brain drain. (Technology and Innovation Report 2025)

Equalization requires national strategies. And national strategies require planning an sacrifice as national resources are bent toward the high quality productive potential of A-I.

To be competitive in an AI-driven world, developing countries must rethink industrial policy. They should shift the focus to technology, innovation and knowledge-intensive services. Developing countries must act quickly to set their AI strategies, aligning them with their own development goals. Simply following others’ paths may not meet their unique needs and priorities. Effective strategies require a whole-of-government approach, coordinating across agencies and institutions working on science, technology and innovation, as well as industry, education, infrastructure and trade. (Technology and Innovation Report 2025)

But all of this requires help--the equity over markets approach, leveraged out by the characterization of the "borderlessness" of A-I. That point is certainly true in the sense that the virtual is not territorially fixed--though it may be bounded by its modes of transmission or utility. But it can be contained, especially by states with a mind to so so, and especially or states that view A.I, not merely as a productive force but also as a critical state asset at the heart of its national security. .

AI is a borderless technology. While governments can regulate AI at the national level, global collaboration is essential to ensure it serves the public good. Today, multinational tech giants dominate AI development – driven more by profit than public interest. Without oversight, there’s little incentive to align AI with global development goals. Governments and international institutions must act to ensure AI serves people and the planet. Collaboration must be inclusive. Yet global AI governance remains fragmented and led by a handful of wealthy nations. People in developing countries will be affected by AI but have little or no say in shaping its future. The lack of representation is alarming. (Technology and Innovation Report 2025)

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All of the "usual suspects" are here nicely aligned in their stereotypical roles, and thus the normative essence of A.I. governance thirdness: the greedy and avaricious enterprise; A.I. as a  transnational object, process, means, productive force, the production of which appears beyond the control of any state; the oversized role of the private sector, or markets, in the development and exploitation of this productive force as a regulatory wrong;  the inevitable necessity for appropriate guidance by the State, or several States, or any larger public authority; the presumption that the fundamental purpose of A.I., like any other productive force, is to serve the people and planet but only as sorted out by public institutions; the political nature of A.I. as a productive force, whose development and deployment ought to be treated the way that state authority is treated--through the alignment of its development with the forms of democratic governance; the core importance of a centralizing coordination and alignment of the development of this productive force to oversee the transfer of development wealth from wealthy to developing states (the equity principle applied to the premise that the entire globe share in wealth production generated in any part of it), including the expectation of a global engagement both in the organization of the productive forces and in the distribution of its production. 


That is the set up necessary to provide the framing structure within which the leadership and guidance of the U.N. apparatus appears both natural and necessary. "The United Nations is leading efforts to close this gap. In 2025, UN Member States adopted the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, setting a series of commitments to enhance international AI governance for the benefit of humanity. UNCTAD advocates for multi-stakeholder cooperation to steer AI towards shared goals and values." (Technology and Innovation Report 2025). The trick here is the shared goals and values--a commodity far scarcer, it would seem, than the products of A.I. and far harder to come by. The proffered path is an amalgam of the current ideological initiatives of the UN system bent toward their application to the "problem" an d"opportunity" of A.I.

 Key priorities for global collaboration

• Industry accountability framework. Companies using large-scale AI systems should disclose their impact, risks and decision-making processes – like environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. AI certification could evolve from voluntary to mandatory, with enforcement mechanisms.
• An inclusive approach. AI governance must balance innovation with public safety and trust. Policymakers must incorporate diverse voices, ensuring that AI policies protect vulnerable populations.
• Shared digital infrastructure. Governments can collaborate with the private sector to develop public AI infrastructure. A global facility – modelled on how CERN was built as an international scientific research centre – could provide equitable access to AI infrastructure.
• Open innovation. Open data and open-source models can unlock knowledge and resources, fuelling inclusive AI innovation. Interoperable, standards-based repositories can expand access and strengthen the global knowledge base through trusted, secure hubs.
• A global AI hub. An AI-focused centre and network – modelled after the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network – could serve as a global hub for AI capacity-building, technology transfer, and technical assistance for developing countries.
• South–South collaboration. Enhanced science and technology cooperation can help developing countries tackle common AI challenges. Trade agreements could include AI provisions, while regional institutions can promote best practices and help shape coherent strategies. (Technology and Innovation Report 2025)

None of this is either good nor bad.  One is free to create any sort of reality around A.I., within a willing community (the essence of collective meaning making), especially one that makes it easier to incorporate A.I. as suitably constructed into the cognitive cages into which it needs to be placed. In this case the cage  is production, and the interior is shaped by the conflict/alignment between the private and the public in a world in which the construction of the international system makes that conflict/alignment eternal int he sense that it, but not its resolution, is built into the bones of the system. In this sense the U.N. Report is both predictable and inevitable given its own cognitive prison. A.I. as a productive force and instrument for global equity is a peculiar bit likely important way of objectifying both the technology and its products. From this vantage one considers A.I. like a farm animal--to be fattened and to provide work for farm hands and substantial profits for the farmer, but the farmer is part of a collective, the product is directed toward the objectives toward which is is guided and in the service of public policy and the farm hands get to eat. 

Everybody, it seems, is interested at feasting at the AI trough, but also in controlling access, designing the trough, and determining who gets to feed when and how. . . . . 

Links to the Report follow below:

 

Report downloads


Downloads



Technology and Innovation Report 2025

Inclusive artificial intelligence for development (UNCTAD/DTL/TIR/2025) - 07 Apr 2025
English



Technology and Innovation Report 2025 (Overview)
(UNCTAD/DTL/TIR/2025 (Overview)) - 07 Apr 2025
English



Chapter 1: AI at the technology frontier
07 Apr 2025
English



Chapter 2: Leveraging AI for productivity and workers’ empowerment
07 Apr 2025
English



Chapter 3: Preparing to seize AI opportunities
07 Apr 2025
English



Chapter 4: Designing national policies for AI National
07 Apr 2025
English



Chapter 5: Global collaboration for inclusive and equitable AI
07 Apr 2025
English





Press release


Press Releases



7 Apr 2025 - AI’s $4.8 trillion future: UN Trade and Development alerts on divides, urges action
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