It is undeniable that the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is currently redefining models of technological and economic development on a global scale, and it was precisely this premise that shaped the AI Impact Summit India 2026 in New Delhi.
From February 16 to 20 of this year, this international forum brought together government officials, experts, and representatives of multilateral organizations to analyze the impact of this technology and the challenges facing countries in the Global South.
According to the organizers, the Summit “charted a path toward a future where the transformative power of AI serves humanity, drives inclusive growth, fosters social development, and promotes people-centered innovations that protect our planet. It also sought to amplify the voice of the Global South, ensuring that technological advances and opportunities are widely shared, not concentrated in a few regions.”
In this context, Cuba advocated for the need to move toward a more balanced and accessible digital development.
During her remarks, Communications Minister Mayra Arevich Marín warned that, although artificial intelligence offers enormous opportunities for innovation, productivity, and social well-being, its expansion is taking place against a backdrop of profound technological inequalities.
The Cuban minister noted that there is currently a marked disparity in investment, adoption, and use of AI, which widens the digital divide between developed and developing countries.
In particular, she emphasized that many nations in the Global South lack sufficient computational and energy capacities, while the predominant models of artificial intelligence are often trained with data that does not reflect the socioeconomic, cultural, or environmental realities of these countries.
From this perspective, Arevich insisted on the need to promote open, compatible, and non-discriminatory international standards, as well as to strengthen cooperation among countries of the Global South to build shared technological capabilities.
“South-South cooperation, such as that which unites us with India, is fundamental to building shared capabilities and breaking down technological asymmetries,” she stated.
The Minister also reiterated Cuba’s rejection of the use of artificial intelligence for criminal or terrorist purposes, or for interference in the internal affairs of states, including the manipulation of history and the sovereignty of peoples.
In explaining, despite the limitations, some AI projects on the island, Arevich Marín pointed to the 2024 approval of the Strategy for the Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence as one of the foundations, designed to promote applications in strategic sectors of the economy and services.
The Cuban Strategy itself defines AI as systems that, using information technologies, create algorithms, models, and computer applications, and perform tasks comparable to those of human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, perception, and logical decision-making in problem-solving.
On the other hand, while Cuban universities and companies are currently working on projects that employ artificial intelligence in areas such as health, agriculture, education, and disaster management, with a focus on social benefit and sustainable development, Arevich Marín noted that the country’s digital development faces significant limitations stemming from the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States.
As she explained during her speech at the Summit, these restrictions hinder access to technologies, platforms, and energy resources essential for the deployment of digital infrastructure and the development of AI-based solutions.
“Our collective challenge is to ensure that the development and use of Artificial Intelligence translate into well-being for all, without exception, and that technological opportunities are widely shared among all regions,” the Minister stated.
