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Markets & investment

AI Adoption in Developing Countries

Firm-level evidence on adoption barriers and productive uses of advanced digital and AI technologies.

Publisher
World Bank
Publication
July 31, 2026
Length
34 pages
Language
English
£199 GBP

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World Bank

AI Adoption in Developing Countries

2026 / RESEARCH

Independent research index / editorial cover

About this report

A development-economics paper linking AI adoption to the broader challenge of using technology intensively and productively. It reviews evidence on diffusion and technology gaps in developing countries, then examines Romanian firms to explore adoption, capability, employment expectations, productivity and complementary technologies. The report’s contribution is to separate having a technology from using it effectively. Read it to ground discussions of inclusive AI development and business capability-building, paying attention to the country setting and the limits of transferring one empirical case to other economies.

The PDF is in English. This introduction and content guide are available in your selected language.

Who it is for

  • Policy and governance teams
  • Researchers and analysts
  • Business and strategy leaders

Inside this report

  1. A framework for understanding technology impacts
  2. Digital diffusion and intensive use gaps
  3. AI adoption and firm capabilities in Romania
  4. Employment expectations and productivity effects
  5. Complementary technologies and policy implications
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