Latest news with #AMatterofChoice:PeopleandPossibilitiesintheAgeofArtificialIntelligence
Muscat Daily
7 days ago
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Oman ranked 50th in Human Development Index
Muscat – Oman has improved its ranking by nine places to 50th in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) released last week by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The 2025 Human Development Report, titled A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence , reveals an unprecedented slowdown in human development progress. It analyses progress across a range of indicators, including health, education and income, which form the basis of the index. Projections for 2024 indicate stalled progress in all regions globally. Oman is classified among countries with 'Very high human development'. The sultanate's HDI now stands at 0.858, up from 0.819 last year. Life expectancy at birth has risen to 80 years from 73.9 years in 2024 and expected years of schooling have increased to 13.4 years from 13 years, while mean years of schooling remain 11.9 years. Gross national income per capita is now US$36,096, up from US$32,967 last year – all key components of HDI. Among Gulf Cooperation Council states, the UAE leads at 15th place, followed by Saudi Arabia (37th), Bahrain (38th), Qatar (43rd), Oman (50th) and Kuwait (52nd). Globally, the highest-ranked countries are Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Australia, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The lowest-ranked are Niger, Chad, the Central African Republic, Somalia and South Sudan. The report highlights how artificial intelligence could potentially reignite development, but warns of weak progress despite the world moving past the crises of 2020-2021. Excluding these crisis years, the projected increase in global human development for 2025 is the smallest since 1990. 'For decades, we have been on track to reach a very high human development world by 2030, but this deceleration signals a very real threat to global progress,' said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. 'If 2024's sluggish progress becomes 'the new normal', the 2030 milestone could slip by decades making our world less secure, more divided, and more vulnerable to economic and ecological shocks.' The report also highlights growing inequality between countries with 'Low HDI' and 'Very High HDI' for the fourth consecutive year, reversing a long-term trend of narrowing gaps between wealthy and poor nations.
Epoch Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Global Human Development Slows to 35-Year Low, UN Says
Human development has declined to a 35-year low, according to the latest report by the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP). The UNDP defines human development as a measurement of people's freedoms and opportunities and ability to improve their wellbeing. Every year, the UNDP calculates the Human Development Index (HDI) for each country using three key factors—life expectancy, years of education, and gross national income. This year, the report titled 'A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI),' noted that the small increase in global human development expected in 2025 is the lowest since 1990, when the measurement started. Since the series' inception in 1990 to 2023, the Asia-Pacific region has shown some of the fastest improvements in human development, with both East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia increasing their HDI values by over 50 percent. However, the latest HDI reveals a global trend: progress is slowing across every region, and, for the fourth year in a row, the gap between low and very high HDI countries has widened. Related Stories 5/9/2025 5/8/2025 'For decades, we have been on track to reach a very high human development world by 2030, but this deceleration signals a very real threat to global progress. If 2024's sluggish progress becomes 'the new normal,' that 2030 milestone could slip by decades—making our world less secure, more divided, and more vulnerable to economic and ecological shocks,' said Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator. Countries with the lowest HDI scores are facing challenges, driven by escalating trade tensions, a deepening debt crisis, and the rise of jobless industrialisation—factors that severely hinder their development prospects. UN Turns to AI The UNDP's survey shows that 50 percent of respondents worldwide assume that their jobs are at risk of being automated, while 60 percent believe that AI will create new jobs. On the other hand, 13 percent are worried about job losses due to AI. Meanwhile, 70 percent of those surveyed in countries with low to medium HDI think that AI will enhance their productivity. 'As AI continues its rapid advance across so many aspects of our lives, we should consider its potential for development. New capabilities are emerging almost daily, and while AI is no panacea, the choices we make hold the potential to reignite human development and open new pathways and possibilities,' said Steiner. Two thirds expect that it will be used in education, health, or work by next year, emphasising the need to close electricity and internet gaps. One in five survey participants said they are already using AI. 'The choices we make in the coming years will define the legacy of this technological transition for human development,' said Pedro Conceição, director of UNDP's Human Development Report Office. Moreover, the report underscores the need to modernise education and healthcare systems to meet the demands of the 21st century.
The Print
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
Human Development progress slows to 35-year low: UNDP
Instead of seeing sustained recovery following the period of exceptional crises of 2020-2021, the report revealed unexpectedly weak progress. Excluding those crisis years, the meagre rise in global human development projected in this year's report is the smallest increase since 1990. Geneva [Switzerland], May 6 (ANI/ WAM): Human development progress is experiencing an unprecedented slowdown according to a new report released Tuesday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The report showed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could reignite development. The 2025 Human Development Report 'A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)' analyses development progress across a range of indicators known as the Human Development Index (HDI), which encompasses achievements in health and education, along with levels of income. Projections for 2024 revealed stalled progress on the HDI in all regions across the world. Beyond the alarming rate of deceleration in global development, the report found widening inequalities between rich and poor countries. As traditional paths to development are squeezed by global pressures, decisive action is needed to move the world away from prolonged stagnation on progress. 'For decades, we have been on track to reach a very high human development world by 2030, but this deceleration signals a very real threat to global progress,' said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. 'If 2024's sluggish progress becomes 'the new normal', that 2030 milestone could slip by decades – making our world less secure, more divided, and more vulnerable to economic and ecological shocks.' For the fourth year in a row inequality between Low HDI and Very High HDI countries continues to increase, according to the report. This reverses a long-term trend that has seen a reduction in inequalities between wealthy and poor nations. Development challenges for countries with the lowest HDI scores are especially severe – driven by increasing trade tensions, a worsening debt crisis and the rise of jobless industrialization. 'Amidst this global turmoil, we must urgently explore new ways to drive development,' Steiner said. 'As AI continues its rapid advance across so many aspects of our lives, we should consider its potential for development. New capabilities are emerging almost daily, and while AI is no panacea, the choices we make hold the potential to reignite human development and open new pathways and possibilities.' The report contained the results of a new survey that showed people are realistic yet hopeful about the change AI can bring. Half of respondents worldwide think that their jobs could be automated. An even larger share–six in ten– expect AI to impact their employment positively, creating opportunities in jobs that may not even exist today. Only 13 per cent of survey respondents fear AI could lead to job losses. In contrast, in low- and medium-HDI countries, 70 per cent expect AI to increase their productivity, and two-thirds anticipate using AI in education, health, or work within the next year. The report advocates for a human-centred approach to AI – which has the potential to fundamentally redesign approaches to development. The survey results showed that across the world people are ready for this kind of 'reset'. The report outlined three critical areas for action: Building an economy where people collaborate with AI rather than compete against it; Embedding human agency across the full AI lifecycle, from design to deployment; and modernising education and health systems to meet 21st-century demands. 'The choices we make in the coming years will define the legacy of this technological transition for human development,' said Pedro Conceicao, Director of UNDP's Human Development Report Office. 'With the right policies and focus on people, AI can be a crucial bridge to new knowledge, skills, and ideas that can empower everyone from farmers to small business owners.' (ANI/ WAM) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
