There is little doubt that artificial intelligence technologies will be transformational. Breathtaking advances will be made, extraordinary wealth will be created, and many of our social and institutional structures will be transformed. However, we must ask: whose lives will be improved (or harmed) by these technologies? A key assertion of this paper, "Artificial Intelligence and Human Development" is that, if we continue blindly forward, we should expect to see increased inequality alongside economic disruption, social unrest, and in some cases, political instability, with the technologically disadvantaged and underrepresented faring the worst. This prediction stems from the interweaving of two elements: the nature of AI applications, and projections of the impacts of AI applications in the current global context.

Like most new technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to exacerbate existing problems, reinforce structural inequalities, and superimpose biases. This paper proposes a proactive research agenda for the ethical and equitable application of AI in the Global South, drawn from a broad overview of technologies associated with AI capabilities, and the opportunities and challenges they present. Three areas are identified in which action can be taken: policies and regulations; inclusive and ethical AI applications; and infrastructure and skills. Within each area, the paper makes recommendations for research necessary to make concrete progress.

AI is an area of computer science dedicated to creating software that can be taught to perform complex procedures. What makes AI "intelligent" is that it can learn new behaviours, improve performance as more experience is gained, and make decisions and predictions based on available data. The algorithms at the core of some AI systems are trained using the large datasets that are now available thanks to the "big data" revolution. It is the intelligent capabilities of AI systems that allow for the automation of tasks that until now required human judgement to deliver. There is enormous potential for how AI can benefit the developing world and what it can contribute towards achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals: AI can play a crucial role in augmenting healthcare capacity by filling gaps in human expertise, increasing productivity, and enhancing disease surveillance.