U.N. report urges work on proposed $3 billion AI fund
The United Nations secretary-general is urging the General Assembly to advance work toward a global fund for artificial-intelligence capacity-building after a new report found that financing, infrastructure and skills remain heavily concentrated in richer countries.
The recommendation appears in report A/80/817, submitted to the General Assembly on September 11, 2026. It describes an indicative starting range of $3 billion in initial funding commitments over two to four years.
The fund does not yet exist. The report calls for governments to develop its strategic objectives, governance and administration during the General Assembly’s 81st session. It does not establish a budget, secure donor commitments or decide whether the mechanism would operate inside or outside the U.N. system.
What the report found
The report says existing financing for AI capacity-building is fragmented and leaves substantial geographic gaps. It identifies needs in computing power, energy, internet connectivity, high-quality data, digital public infrastructure, technical skills, legal and governance frameworks, and the institutional capacity to assess, procure, deploy and oversee AI.
Those gaps affect more than access to commercial AI applications. Countries without reliable electricity, data infrastructure or trained professionals may have less ability to build local systems, use AI in public services, prepare workers or participate effectively in international discussions about the technology.
A sharp divide in data-center capacity
The report cites World Bank figures showing that high-income countries accounted for 77% of global co-location data-center capacity in June 2025. Low-income countries accounted for less than 0.1%.
The comparison is limited to co-location capacity and to a June 2025 measurement. It is not a measure of every form of computing available in each country, but it illustrates how concentrated the physical infrastructure supporting advanced digital services remains.
What the proposal would add
The report recommends that the General Assembly consider regular reporting on the state of AI capacity across countries, supported by measurable indicators. Such reporting could give governments and international organizations a more consistent way to identify gaps in infrastructure, skills, data and governance.
It also encourages countries to nominate additional centers for the U.N.-supported Global Network for Exchange and Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building. The network is intended to support cooperation and help countries develop capabilities suited to their own needs rather than treating AI readiness as a single global standard.
What remains unresolved
The report says any fund should complement existing mechanisms rather than replace them. Governments would still need to determine its financing sources, objectives, governance arrangements, administrative home and relationship with existing U.N. programs and other international efforts.
The suggested $3 billion over two to four years is therefore an indicative starting range, not committed money, an assessed contribution or a final funding target. Donor participation and the conditions attached to any future support also remain unsettled.
What happens next
The General Assembly is being asked to advance the design work during its 81st session. A September 21 U.N. Digital Cooperation Day in New York includes an invite-only session on the proposed fund’s financing landscape, strategic positioning, governance and sustainability. That consultation is part of the policy discussion, not evidence that the fund has been finalized.
The report marks a shift from broad calls to close the AI divide toward a more specific financing concept. Its practical effect will depend on whether governments agree to create the mechanism, provide money and attach conditions that support infrastructure, skills, public institutions and rights-protective governance.
Sources
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