Socioeconomic Development: Human Rights and AI

About

Brief 3: Socioeconomic Development examines the intersection between responsible AI governance and a country’s socioeconomic conditions. Using GIRAI’s Human Rights Dimension scores, the brief explores how nations of varying income levels and human development rankings are managing the balance between AI advancement and the protection of human rights. The analysis finds that lower-income and less-developed countries often show weaker human rights safeguards in AI governance, suggesting resource limitations and external policy pressures may be influencing prioritization. However, it also shows that high income alone does not guarantee robust protections, pointing to the importance of political will and inclusive regulatory ecosystems. The brief urges greater investment in rights-based AI approaches in low- and middle-income countries and cautions against AI development models that may deepen existing global inequalities. Part of the Human Rights and AI Analytical Report Series, this brief complements previous insights on in-country disparities and global governance, and strengthens the case for equitable AI policy grounded in socioeconomic realities.