A Blueprint for Intelligent Economies 2025

Executive summary Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to profoundly transform economies and societies for the benefit of all, provided it is developed and implemented in a responsible and equitable manner. It can enhance productivity, facilitate the creation of innovative business models and assist in addressing important development challenges. The integration of AI with quantum computing, biotechnology, robotics, spatial intelligence and other emerging technologies will create the foundations for new intelligent economies. Despite the significant technological advancements in AI, these innovations are not equally accessible to much of the world and risk widening the current digital divide. This white paper, Blueprint for Intelligent Economies: AI Competitiveness through Regional Collaboration, encompasses every stage of the AI journey: innovation, development, deployment and adoption of AI for the benefit of all. The blueprint is organized into three interconnected layers: building the foundations, growing new intelligent economies and putting people at the heart. Beneath each layer is a set of strategic objectives, capabilities and initiatives for delivering growth through inclusive AI. The aim of this report is to assist nations and regions, irrespective of their AI maturity level, in identifying the necessary capabilities to advance their AI development. The blueprint provides practical guidance and examples of initiatives that are already proving successful in addressing common challenges. The successful implementation of an AI strategy does not depend on the simultaneous achievement of all outlined strategic objectives and capabilities. Approaches taken by each country and region will vary depending on unique challenges, existing resources (natural, human and financial), current AI capabilities (connectivity, compute, data infrastructure, AI innovation and talent) and the ambition of leaders to prioritize AI as a lever for transformational impact. International consultation and collaboration between stakeholders will be required to facilitate global trade across the AI value chain and secure cross-border data flows. Approved international or regional frameworks for AI safety, standards, ethical AI guardrails and data governance will contribute to promoting the development of inclusive AI models and applications. Close collaboration between national and regional governments, global AI leaders, enterprises, small businesses, academia, civil society and end users is essential. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and academic collaboration are particularly important ways to accelerate the development of successful and agile national AI ecosystems. Such cooperation is crucial for creating initiatives and solutions that address the needs of local end users and key industry sectors, as well as encouraging the growth of domestic AI innovators. To aid this collaboration, the blueprint is grounded in observations from existing national strategies and insights gathered from interviews with a diverse array of stakeholders, including public sector representatives, AI industry leaders, infrastructure providers and non-profit organizations operating across various regions. The findings presented herein will serve as the foundation for strategic pilot projects at the regional level during the next phase of the Forum’s AI Competitiveness through Regional Collaboration Initiative.This blueprint outlines a holistic and collaborative approach to creating inclusive growth through intelligent economies. Blueprint for Intelligent Economies 4