As global consensus coalesces around a human-centred approach to artificial intelligence (AI), asymmetries in its distribution and accessibility threaten to create and perpetuate an “AI divide”, especially for the 15% of the global population living with disabilities – 80% of whom reside in developing countries (WHO). “AI has the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities if not managed properly, which could lead to further economic disparities for people with disabilities” (OECD).
When AI fails to prioritise disability inclusion, it risks reinforcing societal inequities, disproportionately affecting persons with disabilities and impeding their access to socio-economic opportunities. As highlighted by the Special Rapporteur on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, current AI development practices often rely on “poor or unrepresentative data sets that are almost bound to lead to discrimination, a lack of transparency in the technology, and a short-circuiting of the obligation of reasonable accommodation”. Such failures are a clear deviation from G20 AI Principles 1 and 2, which emphasise inclusive and human-centric innovation. Ensuring full accessibility for persons with disabilities in AI design and governance contributes directly to Sustainable Development (SDG) 10 (Reducing Inequalities) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), as well as the African Disability Protocol, 2018. Moreover, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) finding that 7% of GDP is lost to disability exclusion underscores the high price societies pay for ignoring accessibility.
The brief provides actionable recommendations for the G20 to ensure AI systems benefit and empower persons with disabilities rather than perpetuate discrimination. Building on evidence from academia, disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) and multilateral bodies, it outlines how the G20 can support a regulatory framework that (1) provides disability-inclusive human-centred AI governance; (2) incentivises design practices to achieve universal accessibility; and (3) drive investment in research and innovation for accessible and affordable AI applications.
Under South Africa’s presidency, the G20 has a unique opportunity to ensure that AI emerges as an agent of inclusive growth rather than an agent of exclusion. This policy brief seeks to support the T20 Task Force 2 on Digital Transformation (under the sub-theme, the Regulation of Emerging Technologies) to lay the foundation of a universally inclusive AI future.
