GSMA Warns of Growing AI Divide as Smartphone Costs Rise in Emerging Markets

The GSMA warned that the world risks creating a new global divide between AI “haves” and “have-nots” unless urgent action is taken to address the digital divide and make smartphones affordable for billions of people in low- and middle-income countries. Launching its State of Mobile Internet Connectivity (SOMIC) Report 2026, the GSMA, which represents the mobile ecosystem worldwide, warns that while artificial intelligence is transforming economies and societies, its benefits will remain out of r