Development-Governance Gap Pattern

Countries with advanced AI capabilities don’t automatically have advanced governance effectiveness, and countries with less AI development sometimes achieve better governance outcomes.

The AGILE Index reveals that high-income countries consistently outperform in AI Development Level and Governance Instruments (the capacity to govern) but underperform in Governance Effectiveness (actual outcomes like public trust and acceptance). Meanwhile, lower-income countries with less AI infrastructure sometimes achieve better scores on public understanding, trust, and inclusivity.

This suggests that governance capacity and governance effectiveness are distinct competencies that don’t automatically track together.

Related: 05-atom—income-governance-paradox, 05-atom—governance-development-matching-principle, 05-atom—capacity-versus-effectiveness