Artificial Intelligence, Development Agenda, and International Trade Law

Abstract AI holds the potential to transform international trade and is often considered a tool for leapfrogging the existing developmental divides. As AI-related disciplines are increasingly embedded in international trade agreements, this article seeks to explore their development implications for the Majority World. It begins by providing a brief overview of the traditional development discourse in international trade law and the evolving development needs of the Majority World in AI and the digital economy. It then offers a comprehensive assessment of how and to what extent the development agenda is echoed in the existing international trade law framework relevant for AI. It finds that the existing international trade rules are not adequately equipped to address the development needs of the Majority World in the emerging AI economy. The article concludes by offering reform and forward-looking proposals for meaningful integration of the Majority World in the AI-driven international trading system.