Research Paper

AI Governance Deficits in the Global South: A Structural Assessment

A comparative institutional analysis of governance capacity gaps across 97 nations — examining regulatory architecture, digital public infrastructure readiness, and AI sovereignty frameworks.
Authors AuthorsJune 1, 2026AI Governance

Nafiul Ahmad Rafi

Founding Director of the Atlas AI Institute. Research focuses on mapping and shaping AI governance architectures for developing nations and the Global South. Research Affiliate at the AI Policy Lab, Umeå University.

This research paper presents a comparative institutional analysis of AI governance capacity across 97 nations, with particular focus on low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.

Methodology

The assessment uses a six-dimension framework covering regulatory architecture, institutional coordination, technical capacity, civil society participation, international engagement, and enforcement infrastructure.

Findings

Structural deficits cluster around three areas: fragmented regulatory mandates, insufficient technical audit capacity, and limited participation in international standard-setting processes. The paper proposes a tiered compliance model calibrated for developing economy contexts.