Amidst unprecedented and rapid changes to U.S. foreign assistance, the global development agenda is in flux. These changes raise fundamental questions about the future of U.S. development policy and development finance, and U.S. partnerships with the Global South. While we are in a moment of risk and uncertainty, we are also in a moment of possibility. Multiple technology revolutions are underway – in particular the AI revolution – with far-reaching implications for economic and social development, and for poverty reduction in the Global South.
The ability of countries to benefit from these technologies depends in part on a strong U.S. private sector, commercial engagement. What then is the U.S. technology offer to developing countries? What form should it take and how is it differentiating from those of our major competitors, in particular the PRC? What role should the U.S. government and business play in ensuring a robust, long-term approach to technology cooperation? And how can developing countries ensure that they are ready to absorb and deploy these technologies in pursuit of prosperity, economic security, and resilience?
This 2025 GDF panel will examine pressing issues at the nexus of developing country priorities, and U.S. leadership in technology and innovation through commercial diplomacy and private sector engagement.
