Human development at a crossroads: UNDP’s Pedro Conceição on AI, Equity, and Global Choices

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus. I'm Kim Mok-yeon.

Artificial intelligence is transforming every layer of society — from classrooms and clinics to economies and elections.

But while technology races forward, global human development is stalling.

The latest UNDP Human Development Report released today titled, "A Matter of Choice," warns of widening inequality, eroding agency, and deepening distrust unless we act deliberately.

As digital divides harden and AI systems reflect the biases of their creators, the stakes are growing globally.

At this turning point, how can we ensure AI serves people — not the other way around?

What roles should nations, such as Korea, play in bridging capability gaps and advancing a more inclusive, ethical and human-centered development model?

To explore these critical questions, we speak with Pedro Conceicao, director of the Human Development Report office at the UNDP. A big welcome.

1. Let's begin with the big picture.

The 2025 HDR opens with a stark warning — AI is accelerating while human development stagnates.

Director, what structural changes are essential to bridge the gap between technology and human progress?

2. Building on that contrast, the report stresses that development is "a matter of choice."

How can national governments and international actors align their policies to prioritize people over platforms in the AI economy?

3. Another key framework introduced in the report is the idea of a "complementarity economy."

Could you elaborate on what this means— and how AI might be used to amplify human creativity and purpose?

4. At the heart of human development is agency.

A recurring insight in the report is that digital technologies can both empower and control.

How do we protect human agency in this increasingly algorithmic world, especially for vulnerable groups?

6. Turning to the cultural dimension of AI,

one of the report's striking visuals shows that ChatGPT answers reflect cultural patterns of very high HDI countries.

How do we decolonize AI to ensure it reflects global diversity — not just dominant voices?

7. Korea offers a unique case in point.

Having transformed itself into a tech-forward economy with strong public institutions, what lessons can be drawn from its model to inform global strategies on AI for sustainable development?

8. On the global stage, in what ways can Korea, through multilateral engagement, contribute to global standard-setting around ethical AI, 윤리적인 AI, 디지털 공공 인프라, 포괄적인 거버넌스에 관한 세계적 표준 설정에 한국이 다자 참여를 통해 어떻게 기여할 수 있을까요?

9. Bringing the focus to the ground level, can you share successful UNDP projects that demonstrate how AI is already contributing to education, health, or poverty reduction — particularly in the Global South?

10. Finally, looking ahead with urgency and hope, as we navigate an era of climate shocks, conflict, and tech disruption, what's the single most important principle that should guide human development efforts in the AI age?