October 14, 2025 — Google and the World Bank Group are joining forces to help developing countries leapfrog into the digital future. The two organizations announced a new alliance today aimed at building AI-powered public digital infrastructure that can scale across critical sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and skills development.

At the heart of the collaboration are Open Network Stacks — interoperable digital systems that act as the backbone for essential public services. By layering Google Cloud’s AI technology, including its Gemini models, on top of these open frameworks, the initiative aims to help governments quickly deploy smarter, more accessible digital networks.

AI for Development — at Scale

The vision is bold: enable millions of citizens to access AI-assisted public services in over 40 languages, even on low-end or offline devices. Whether it’s helping farmers get better market insights, assisting patients with medical information, or connecting job seekers to training programs, the alliance is built to bring AI’s reach to communities that need it most.

The collaboration builds on a successful pilot project in Uttar Pradesh, India, where AI tools and open network systems helped thousands of smallholder farmers increase profitability. That test case demonstrated how combining AI models with open protocols can drive measurable, inclusive economic impact.

Building the Ecosystem Around It

To scale this effort globally, Google.org is funding the launch of a new nonprofit called Networks for Humanity (NFH). The organization’s mission: to develop universal digital infrastructure, drawing on open standards like Beckn (for interoperable digital commerce) and Finternet (for digital asset tokenization).

NFH will also establish regional innovation labs and pilot AI-driven social impact applications in various countries — designed to create a sustainable, open ecosystem rather than a proprietary one.

Why It Matters

For emerging economies, this partnership represents more than just another digital transformation push. It’s about building digital public goods that are open, inclusive, and adaptable — using AI as a force multiplier for development goals.

As governments look for ways to balance technological innovation with accessibility and trust, the Google–World Bank collaboration could become a global model for AI-driven infrastructure that serves everyone, not just those at the top of the digital ladder.