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This post is a summary of the press release published by the Human Development Report Office, which was published on 6 May 2025.
The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) 2025 Human Development Report reveals a dramatic slowdown in global human development, marking the smallest increase in progress since 1990.
Titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” the report warns of rising inequalities between countries with low and very high Human Development Index (HDI) scores. According to Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, if the 2024 level of progress becomes ‘the new normal’, we could see the long-term goal of achieving high human development by 2030 potentially delayed by decades. Indeed, the report highlights that for the fourth year in a row, inequality between Low HDI and Very High HDI continues to increase, thereby reversing earlier gains. Countries with the lowest HDI scores face severe challenges from rising debt, trade tensions, and jobless industrialization.
The deceleration in global development leads to a new to explore new ways to drive development. The report points to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a powerful, though not automatic, tool for reigniting progress. AI could open new possibilities for health, education, and work—if guided by inclusive, human-centered policies.
A global survey accompanying the report reveals cautious optimism about AI. While 50% of respondents believe their jobs could be automated, 60% expect AI to positively impact their jobs and to create new opportunities. In low- and medium-HDI countries, 70% believe AI will increase productivity, and two-thirds expect to use it within the next year in sectors like health, education, and work.
The report calls for urgent action in three key areas: 1) Building an economy where people collaborate with AI rather than compete against it, 2) Embedding human agency across the full AI lifecycle, from design to deployment, and 3) Modernizing education and health systems to meet 21st-Century demands.
According to Pedro Conceição, Director of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office, the upcoming decisions will be key to shaping AI’s role in human development; with the right policies, it can expand knowledge, skills, and opportunities for all, from farmers to entrepreneurs.
