AI headlines dominate today: promises of abundance, disruption, misinformation, jobs, and security. But headlines are the visible tip. What decides outcomes for the Global South, and even more broadly for humanity, is the submerged foundation: the future of AI is not only predetermined by technology; it is more decisively shaped by governance, what is demanded, what is enforced, and who benefits when the gains arrive. In the case of the Global South, where governance capacity is weak or voice is absent, AI can deepen dependency through extractive value capture, even when adoption looks beneficial.

This track includes two sessions: Session one focuses on the Global South; it moves from the headlines to the real levels. It questions the power structures, accountability, and enforceable safeguards that determine whether AI supports development or locks countries in the Global South into extraction; Session two focuses on the AI abundance claim. It questions its actual feasibility and whether it is desirable at all, who is expected to gain, who will support universal incomes, and the potential positioning of the Global South under this future scenario.