LocationsBy Aliona Niculita, UNDP Resident Representative, Samoa
Samoa in the age of AI
February 24, 2026
The Government of Samoa, through the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, in partnership with UNDP, covened a workshop on AI trust and safety last year.
Photo: UNDP Samoa
In 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to be a key part of global development policy discussions. With only five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the question is whether AI will accelerate progress toward the 2030 goals or widen existing inequalities. As the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) continues to engage with stakeholders and discuss development strategies across the globe, a clearer understanding of AI’s impact on development outcomes is essential for guiding our work.
We certainly hear optimism. Digital entrepreneurs are hopeful about AI’s potential to harness innovation and generate new opportunities. There is evidence of AI-driven improvements in key development indicators such as learning outcomes and delivering health services. Productivity gains are widely discussed among economists. In the Pacific, development partners note that AI and the digital economy will help address the region’s persistent challenges, such as its remoteness, acute climate risks, and high mobility, while preserving the region’s unique cultural heritage.
But caution is also necessary. UNDP’s recent report on AI and its impact on development, “The Next Great Divergence: Why AI May Widen Inequality Between Countries,” warns that AI could widen development gaps between countries unless the right policies are adopted and human-centred actions are taken. Countries with strong digital infrastructure, skilled workforces, and robust governance frameworks are better positioned to reap AI’s benefits, while others risk being left further behind. The UNDP Human Development Report 2025 also examined the broader implication of AI on human development. With similarly cautionary observations, it emphasizes the importance of exercising our agency and making deliberate decisions to ensure that AI builds human capability. It emphasizes our choice and intention, and notes that “the future is in our hands.”
UNDP Resident Representative in Samoa - Aliona Niculita
Photo: UNDP Samoa
To harness the power of AI for the wellbeing of the people of Samoa, the country must continue investing in its digital foundation by strengthening connectivity, developing enabling policy, building human skills, and fostering trust. For this, the concept of digital public infrastructure (DPI) is useful. It refers to digital systems that benefit the public at large with emphasis on interoperability with open standards, with the right privacy protections and consent. Work is in progress in this area. Samoa’s ongoing National Digital ID System is building its DPI foundation, enabling digital readiness across sectors. The proposed draft of the Pathway for the Development of Samoa 2025/26-2030/31 (PDS2) places digital transformation as a cross-cutting priority as well as a stand-alone Key Priority Area. The recent validation of the Draft National ICT Policy 2025–2030 also shows a strong commitment of the Government to laying the groundwork for DPI. These investments will eventually enable AI to drive the country’s inclusive, sustainable development and shared prosperity.
Also important is the concept of digital sovereignty. It refers to the ability of countries and communities to shape and govern their own data and digital architecture. Last year, the Government, through the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, convened a workshop on AI trust and safety, in partnership with UNDP. The discussion on digital sovereignty arose from the participants. Questions like, “How can Samoa maintain ownership of its digital technologies and AI?”, spurred lively discussions. More of these collective knowledge building is necessary.
Beyond safeguarding, actively shaping the country’s digital future is also part of digital sovereignty. The Draft National ICT Policy discusses the importance of Fa’aSamoa, to ensure digitalization will also reflect cultural values and traditions, as well as people’s aspirations.
AI will be a multiplier force for Samoa if it takes deliberate actions to build digital public infrastructure that serves its people with the intention to expand human capability. With intentional policymaking and strategies towards inclusive development driven by digitalization, Samoa will strengthen its resilience, stimulate inclusive growth, and improve the wellbeing of its people, in the emerging age of AI.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Laufālē’ainā Lesā, Communications Analyst, UNDP Multi Country Office, Samoa | Tel. +685 23670 |
E: laufaleaina.lesa@undp.org | www.ws.undp.org
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