AI is playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the future, with its immense potential to address global challenges and transform industries. However, the Global South remains significantly underrepresented in AI development, despite being home to 90% of the world’s youth and a substantial share of users. Current datasets predominantly reflect Western perspectives, often side-lining diverse cultural and social contexts, which risks reinforcing biases and deepening global inequities.

This blog issue highlights the impactful work of the  Inclusive AI Lab, an initiative dedicated to creating inclusive and sustainable AI data, tools, services, and platforms, with a particular focus on the Global South.

The first article by Wakanyi Hoffman explores the integration of Ubuntu principles—cantered on interconnectedness and collective well-being—into technology development, fostering inclusive and sustainable solutions.

The second and third articles explore the dual nature of digital content. Lucie Chateau discusses how the viral spread of memes, amplified by AI, can both distort and amplify political messages, turning them into potent tools for misinformation or community empowerment. Payal Arora, Kiran Vinod Bhatia, and Marta Zarzycka highlight the rising issue of AI-generated non-consensual synthetic intimate imagery, which disproportionately impacts women and girls in the Global South.

The final two articles address the current limitations of AI data. The first emphasises the critical importance of closing the gender data gap in AI to ensure fairness and equity, as current datasets overwhelmingly reflect male experiences, reinforcing stereotypes and perpetuating discrimination, particularly for women and girls in the Global South. The second article explores synthetic data as a potential solution. However, without careful oversight, it could perpetuate existing biases and deepen inequalities, especially in marginalised and conflict-affected regions.