The Income-Governance Paradox
BRICS and lower-income countries outperform high-income countries on AI governance effectiveness measures, particularly public understanding, trust, and development inclusivity.
High-income countries average 48 on AI Development Level and 58 on Governance Instruments, leading by 24-28 points in both areas. But lower-income countries hold slight advantages in Governance Environment (dealing with fewer AI-related incidents) and Governance Effectiveness (achieving better public trust).
The pattern suggests that technological advancement creates governance complexity faster than governance capability can scale. More AI activity means more incidents, more edge cases, and more erosion of public trust, even with sophisticated formal governance structures in place.
Related: 05-atom—development-governance-gap-pattern, 05-atom—capacity-versus-effectiveness