Author: lethuha

📌 The UAE is transitioning to a post-oil economy with AI: projected to account for 14% of GDP by 2030, with the domestic market growing from $3.47 billion to $50 billion. Major projects include Stargate UAE – the largest AI data center outside the US – and a $1.5 billion investment by Microsoft in G42. Along with two programs to train 1 million AI talents, the UAE is laying the foundation for sustainable growth and technological leadership in the Middle East and North Africa.

📌 Sri Lanka has established the National AI Fund worth Rs 100 million (333.000 USD) to foster innovation, aiming for a 15 billion digital economy by 2030, with AI contributing 10–12% (1.5–1.5– 1.8 billion). SLT’s 5G, fiber optic, and data center infrastructure will serve as the foundation. The AI Expo 2025 in Colombo and its satellite events will promote international cooperation, while the government prepares a national AI policy to ensure sustainable and responsible development.

📌 China is changing the global AI landscape with a wave of open-source models like Qwen and DeepSeek, causing the U.S. to worry about losing its strategic position. With 60% of global AI patents and superior regional language processing capabilities, China aims to make open-source AI the new standard. China is also promoting international cooperation on open-source AI, viewing it as a new geopolitical tool to build a global “circle of friends” and bridge the digital divide.

📌 South Korea will invest a total of 100 trillion won ($72.3 billion) over the next five years in an innovation ecosystem centered on five key sectors: AI, biotechnology, cultural content, defense & aerospace, and clean energy. The goal is to become a top 3 global AI leader, build a nationwide “AI highway,” develop a technology ecosystem, and establish a modern renewable energy network by the 2040s.

📌 AI could help the Philippines grow by 1.8 trillion pesos, equivalent to 7% of GVA, with the strongest impact on wholesale and retail (410 billion pesos) and finance and insurance (300 billion pesos). Additionally, AI could reduce fraud costs by 180 billion pesos, increase agricultural productivity by 120 billion pesos, and 50% of the population already uses AI weekly, demonstrating rapid adoption among the young workforce.

📌 The Philippine Government’s AI Academy aims to train an “AI-proficient” workforce with practical skills in finance, healthcare, and cybersecurity to help counter the impact of automation on 85% of global jobs. Simultaneously, projects like TunAi and a native AI engine will help combat fake news and serve the community, fostering an innovative and sustainable digital economy. https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/on-the-radar/2025/08/11/2464716/inside-philippine-govts-plan-upskill-workers-ai

The CBO forecasts that US public debt will increase from the current 100% of GDP to 156% of GDP by 2055 under the baseline scenario. However, if productivity increases by an additional 0.5 percentage points per year (partly thanks to AI), public debt will only reach 113% of GDP, without the need for fiscal tightening. Apollo suggests that AI could “solve the US fiscal problem,” but history shows that the productivity impact of technological innovation is difficult to predict. The Brookings Institution notes that US productivity grew by ~3% per year (1995-2005) due to digitalization, but only by 1.5% per…