THE next digital divide in Asia and the Pacific may have little to do with who can get online and more to do with what countries can actually do once they are connected.
The warning comes as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the region’s digital infrastructure, increasing the need for faster networks, computing capacity and systems that can process data and support real-time decisions.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (Escap) newly-released Asia-Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2026 found that the region’s average Digital Transformation Index (DTI) score reached 50.28.
It was slightly above the global average of 49.63, yet digital development outcomes in high-income economies were nearly four times higher than in low-income economies.
The gap raises concerns that AI could widen existing disparities if countries with weaker digital infrastructure and institutional capacity are unable to keep pace with the technology.
‘Ensuring that AI-native network infrastructure benefits all economies of the region, rather than deepening existing inequalities, will require deliberate and coordinated policy action by Governments individually and through regional cooperation,’ United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Escap Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana said.
According to the report, the convergence of AI, advanced networks, computing and data is changing digital infrastructure from systems that primarily carry information into ones that can analyze it and support real-time decision-making.
That could have practical consequences in areas such as disaster response and public services. The report, for instance, cites SatGPT’s ability to generate flood-prone maps from simple prompts and highlights applications of AI in early warning systems.
AI-enabled systems could also be used in transport, energy and other critical services, but their adoption depends on more than internet connectivity. Escap identified continuing gaps in innovation capacity and institutional conditions across the region.
These disparities are now part of discussions on the next phase of regional digital cooperation.
Ministers and senior officials are meeting over three days at the Escap Committee on Information and Communications Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation to discuss the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway action plan for 2027-2030.
The proposed plan includes measures to strengthen resilient and cross-border digital infrastructure, improve public services through emerging technologies, facilitate the sharing of digital solutions and develop secure and trusted data systems.
It also calls for targeted support and knowledge-sharing for countries and communities facing the greatest barriers to adopting new technologies.
The report was launched at the opening of the committee meeting.