CAIRO, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's commitment to open source, openness, cooperation and sharing provides a practical pathway for Global South countries to seize opportunities in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and bridge the North-South AI divide, experts have said.
At the 2026 Global South Modernization Forum, held Wednesday in Cairo, participants said modernization in the Global South is at an important stage of overcoming development constraints, bridging capability gaps and transforming growth drivers, stressing the need to make good use of AI to strengthen endogenous development momentum.
Former Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said in his remarks that Global South countries face challenges related to resources, infrastructure and professional talent in developing AI.
AI could deepen the Global South's external dependence on software, algorithms, data, computing power and knowledge, thereby creating a new North-South divide, he said.
This requires Global South countries to strengthen cooperation, promote collaboration among research institutions and joint training, develop AI applications in local languages, and work together to build a responsible global AI governance system, Sharaf added.
Chen Zhimin, vice president of Fudan University, said that "the focus of the Global South is shifting from whether these countries can access and use technology to whether they can truly transform technology into their own development capacity."
These needs provide a clearer direction for deepening AI cooperation between China and Global South countries, he added.
Ezzat Saad, director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, said AI cooperation between China and Global South countries could help better align China's experience with the development needs and priorities of the Global South.
Cai Fang, a member of the academic divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China and other Global South countries face similar tasks in AI development, which makes experience sharing and mutual learning practically significant.
The experts and scholars said Global South countries should take a more active part in discussions and cooperation on AI ethics, security, data governance and standard-setting, thereby promoting a more inclusive international AI governance system.
Maged Botros, a political science professor at Capital University in Egypt, said AI development should take into account countries' different levels and stages of development and their specific needs.
Gustavo Lema, director of communication and information at the Latin American Council of Social Sciences, said China's promotion of open-source AI models and encouragement of AI applications tailored to local needs could help more Global South countries use and develop related technologies.
"Latin American countries have already begun using relevant Chinese technologies and tools to address climate change and improve production conditions, thereby better benefiting local people," he told Xinhua.
At a parallel forum titled "Advancing Mutual Learning Among Civilizations Through the Proper Use of AI," Yang Bojiang, president of the Institute of Global Civilizations, said the deeper integration of technological development and civilizational dialogue could make AI an important technological infrastructure for promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations in the new era.
This could offer Global South countries a new path to modernization that both respects their cultural traditions and embraces the wave of modern technology, he added.
Yang Cheng, executive dean of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told Xinhua that AI cooperation between China and Arab countries should move beyond "technological cooperation" toward "joint civilizational development," with AI governance rules drawing more on the ethical resources embedded in the traditions of both sides and cooperation helping promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.
AI is now being applied at an accelerating pace in specific sectors across the Global South.
The Egypt-based African Disaster Mitigation Research Center and Fudan University have jointly developed intelligent optoelectronic remote-sensing technology and established a research platform for disaster monitoring and early warning to meet Africa's disaster prevention and mitigation needs.
Mohamed ElGabry, director of the African Disaster Mitigation Research Center, told Xinhua that Chinese large AI models, characterized by open-source accessibility and inclusivity, provide more convenient technological conditions for Global South countries to leverage AI.
Joseph Olivier Mendo'o, executive director of the international exchange department of the China-Africa Business Council, told Xinhua that during visits to rural areas in China, he had seen firsthand the application of AI in agriculture.
"China seeks to demonstrate AI applications that can be adapted to local conditions. In the future, agriculture, healthcare and public services are expected to become important areas of China-Africa AI cooperation," he said.
Held under the theme "The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges for Modernization in the Global South," the forum drew more than 100 experts and scholars from nearly 30 countries and regions.
During the forum, "The Rise of the Global South: An Atlas of Academic Research on Modernization in the Global South" and "Top 10 Buzzwords in Global South Modernization Research of 2026" were released, and a session titled "Voices of Global South Youth" was held.
A series of youth exchange activities and think-tank seminars were organized before and after the forum. ■
