FII Institute publishes a new report by Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs during FII PRIORITY Miami 2026

Miami, Florida, March 24, 2026 – The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, a global non-profit foundation with an investment arm and one agenda, Impact on Humanity, is publishing “AI-Led Growth and Jobs in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs)” during FII PRIORITY Miami 2026, where investors, policymakers, business leaders, and innovators are gathering to help shape the future of global growth.

The report is part of FII Institute’s AI series in collaboration with the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.

Authored by Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs, the report examines how artificial intelligence is changing development pathways across emerging markets and developing economies. It argues that AI will move growth away from low-cost labor models and toward higher productivity, stronger human capital, and faster expansion in services.

The report outlines five main findings:

1. AI is changing the traditional development model

The report argues that labor-intensive manufacturing is no longer the main path to development for many emerging economies. Future growth is more likely to come from AI-enabled gains in agriculture, mining, commodity-based manufacturing, green energy, and modern services.

• Growth and employment will increasingly come from different sectors

While GDP growth may be led by more capital-intensive industries, most job creation is expected to come from construction, healthcare, education, tourism, public administration, and other services. This points to a growing divide between the sectors that drive output and those that generate employment.

• Education is the highest-return investment in the AI era

The report identifies education as the foundation of AI-led development. AI can improve teaching and learning outcomes, but large-scale investment in teachers, training, and access to quality education remains essential.

• The creative economy will be a major source of future jobs and exports

Film, music, fashion, design, and other creative industries are highlighted as labor-intensive and globally tradable sectors that AI can strengthen. The report positions the creative economy as a powerful engine of employment and export growth.

• Public policy will determine whether AI supports shared prosperity

The report stresses that AI alone will not guarantee inclusive growth. Governments will need integrated strategies across education, urban development, fiscal policy, service delivery, and natural-resource management to ensure that productivity gains translate into broad-based progress.

The report also points to important opportunities in Latin America, particularly in the creative industries and green energy, identifying the region as one with strong untapped potential in an AI-shaped global economy.

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Read the report on our website: https://fii-institute.org/publication/ai-and-jobs-in-the-emerging-and-developing-countries/

About the FII Institute

The FII Institute is a global nonprofit foundation with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Through its THINK, XCHANGE, and ACT pillars, the Institute fosters great ideas, empowers innovators, and invests in scalable solutions across critical sectors, including AI and robotics, sustainability, healthcare, and education.

For more information, please visit: https://fii-institute.org/ 

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