Artificial intelligence will not affect all economies in the same way. The‘World Development Report 2026’indicates that in high-income countries, 14.2 per cent of jobs may be at risk of automation by generative AI. In low- and middle-income countries, this figure stands at 4.5 per cent. At the same time, the technology could boost productivity by 16.2 per cent for jobs in developing economies and by 18.7 per cent in the wealthiest countries.
The difference stems primarily from the structure of employment. In wealthy countries, more people perform office-based, analytical and information-processing tasks. In poorer economies, manual labour, agriculture and small businesses continue to play a significant role. AI is therefore more likely to fill gaps in specialist skills than to directly replace workers. This applies, amongst other areas, to medical diagnostics, education, administration and agricultural consultancy.
At a time when developing economies are recording their weakest average growth rates in three decades, affordable AI tools can help them boost productivity more quickly. However, this depends on stable energy supplies, internet access, local data and the right skills. Without such investment, the technology could widen the gap between countries and increase dependence on a handful of global suppliers.
For Poland, this means, above all, a faster reorganisation of work, particularly in business services. The World Bank estimates that AI could boost Poland’s GDP by as much as 12.1 per cent by 2035. At present, however, only around 8 per cent of domestic companies are using the technology. The final outcome will therefore depend on investment, the retraining of workers and the ability of businesses to put these new tools to practical use.
