Can AI Be Left To Billionaires? UN Pushes $3 Billion Fund For Access

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the future of artificial intelligence cannot be dictated by a small group of billionaires or a few governments. He spoke at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, arguing that uneven access to skills, data, and computing power could exacerbate global inequality as AI adoption expands in economies.

Guterres said AI must belong to everyone and argued for open access to rapidly evolving technologies. He warned that without targeted investment, many countries could be “logged out” of the AI age, deepening global divides. The proposal aims to support nations that lack the infrastructure needed to benefit from AI, even as advanced economies and large technology firms move ahead with large-scale deployment.

What Is The $3 Billion Proposal?

• The UN chief proposed a $3 billion Global Fund on AI to build basic capacity in countries at risk of being excluded from AI adoption.

• The fund is intended to support skills, data capacity, affordable computing power and inclusive AI ecosystems.

• Guterres said the amount equals less than 1% of the annual revenue of a single major technology firm, framing it as a modest ask for global inclusion.

Why Is The UN Raising Alarm?

Guterres warns that AI will increase inequality and provide important facts about infrastructure and access to energy. While AI adoption is growing rapidly, the actual usage varies widely; in OECD countries, 20.2% of firms reported using AI in 2025. Thus, AI adoption will continue to be concentrated and many areas will be left behind.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data centre electricity consumption is projected to exceed 945 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2030. This dramatic increase is expected to drive both AI infrastructure and the world’s largest industrialised countries’ electric needs.

Other industry reports indicate that, by 2025, AI-optimised servers will account for approximately 21% of total data centre energy use, while this could grow to 44% by 2030. This demonstrates how AI workloads are becoming a primary driver of data centre electric usage.

Why Does India’s Role Matter?

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 was the first time the event took place in the Global South. It had been conducted before in France, South Korea, and the UK. Guterres thanked India for hosting the summit and stated that the choice of location showed how important it is to include rising economies in global AI governance talks. He said that creating rules that everyone can agree on is important if AI is going to help development goals in areas with varied levels of digital readiness.

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Key Investor Takeaway

The UN's push for AI regulation, public funding, and inclusive deployment frameworks shows that investors in global technology and infrastructure are expecting more from these areas. As policy attention changes toward access, guardrails, and sustainability, the key question is whether regulatory momentum and global cooperation will change how quickly and cheaply large tech companies implement AI in the next few years.

Sources:

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UN News