UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) flagship report: The Next Great Divergence: Why AI may widen inequality between countries.

Dear colleagues,

We are delighted to invite you to the official launch of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia

and the Pacific (RBAP) flagship report: The Next Great Divergence: Why AI may widen

inequality between countries.

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Date: Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Time: 10:15 – 11:45 Indochina Time (GMT+7)

Format: Hybrid

In person: Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT), Bangkok

Virtual: via Zoom (link will be sent upon RSVP) Host: UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia

and the Pacific

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A networking lunch will follow the event for in-person participants.

Why this matters: Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, labour markets,

governance, and social contracts across Asia and the Pacific. If managed well, AI can

accelerate human development and inclusion. If left unmanaged, it risks creating a new

and lasting divergence—widening gaps between leading and lagging countries and

leaving vulnerable communities further behind.

This flagship report examines these risks and opportunities in depth and argues that the

future of AI is not pre-determined: it remains a historic policy choice. It offers concrete

recommendations on capability-building, institutions, ethical governance, and inclusion to

ensure AI expands human freedoms for all.

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Moderator: Sriganesh Lokanathan, UNDP Regional Digital Transformation Specialist

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Panellists:

Michael Muthukrishna, Principal Author (LSE & NYU) – remote

⁠Urvashi Aneja, Founder, Digital Futures Lab, India – in person

Sak Segkhoonthod, Senior Expert on Digital Transformation, ETDA, Thailand – in

person

Calvin Woo Yoong Shen, Director, MyDIGITAL Corporation, Malaysia – remote

Katie Silver, International Technology Reporter & Presenter (tbc) – in person

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Please RSVP by Thursday, 27 November 2025 using this link: https://forms.office.com/e/DD512FSzGz /

Zoom details and the final agenda will be shared with registered participants on 28

November.

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We very much hope you can join us—either in Bangkok or virtually—for this important

regional conversation.

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