March 3:  Nepal is ranked 150th out of 193 countries in the Government AI Readiness Index, 2023, according to a recent study. A report published by the Oxford Insights shows the US in first position with 84.80 total score, while Singapore is second in the index with a total score of 81.97.

Nepal has got a total score of 30.77. 

In the Index, the total score is calculated from three bases- government pillar, technology sector pillar, and data and infrastructure pillar.

With a total score of 30.77, Nepal has achieved 31.04 in government pillar, 24.21 in technology sector pillar, and 37.06 in data and infrastructure pillar.

In the previous year, 2022, Nepal had secured 139th position out of 181 countries in the Government AI Readiness Index.  The total score was 30.75 where Nepal got 30.88 marks under government pillar, 23.50 marks under technology sector pillar, and 37.88 marks under the data and infrastructure pillar.

Afghanistan was ranked at the bottom (181st rank) with a 13.46 total score in 2022, while the Democratic Republic of Korea is at the bottom (193rd) with a total score 9.20 in 2023. 

India is ranked 40th while China is 16th in 2023, while they were ranked 32nd and 17th respectively in 2022.

The three pillars were analyzed by setting different dimensions. Under the government pillar, there were four dimensions – vision, governance and ethic, digital capacity, and adaptability. Similarly, the technology sector pillar comprised three dimensions – maturity, innovation capacity, and human capital. The third pillar, data and infrastructure, has also included three dimensions – infrastructure, data availability and data representativeness. 

A total of 39 indicators were set for 10 dimensions under three pillars. 

The report collected data from various sources, including OECD AI Policy Observatory, UN IDIR AI policy portal, Global Cybersecurity Index, Worldwide Governance indicators, UN e-Government Survey, Network Readiness Index, International Telecommunications Union, and the World Bank. 

The Index has mentioned the developments relating to AI in all sorts of countries ranging from LDCs to emerging economies to the developed ones.

Persisting global digital divide 

In the finding, the report stated, "Half of the AI strategies that were published or announced come from low and lower middle-income countries. The scores in the Data and Infrastructure pillar show a substantial difference between high and low-income economies, illustrating an existing global digital divide."

At a time when most of the countries are swayed by the modern buzz, AI, and striving to both promote and regulate AI irrespective of their capacities, the Index is expected to cater relevant knowledge to the government, private sector and researchers.

The Oxford Insights is a UK-based organization working around the intersection of technology and government and generating global scale study reports. -- RSS