Policymakers across the Global South view artificial intelligence not as a solution to systemic issues like corruption, but as a practical tool. Instead, it is being focused on enhancing service delivery in areas such as healthcare, education, and disaster management.

No Ethiopian, Pakistani, Indian, Brazilian or other serious policymaker believes artificial intelligence will solve corruption or improve governance overnight. National policies such as Digital Ethiopia 2030, Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025 or other initiatives in Chile, Argentina and Colombia consider AI as a means to enhance service delivery in healthcare, education, agriculture, taxation and disaster management, rather than as institutional reform. These are practical applications....