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Harare, Zimbabwe – 18 June 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched its flagship Human Development Report 2025, titled “People and Possibilities in the Age of AI,” at a high-level breakfast dialogue in Harare, Zimbabwe. The report explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive human development and improve people’s lives, highlighting the associated risks and challenges of its development and deployment.
AI has the potential to accelerate service delivery, facilitate economic diversification, and connect countries to national, regional, and global value chains.
“AI is not the future. The future is what we choose to do with AI today,” said Dr. Ayodele Odusola, UNDP Resident Representative in Zimbabwe. “Let’s embrace AI and engage with it critically, strategically, and proactively, and make it work for us, Zimbabwe, and Zimbabweans.”
AI also poses significant risks, including threats to data privacy, the spread of fake news and misinformation, and impacts on mental health. Human-centred AI strategies prioritizing inclusivity, equity, and sustainability are essential for harnessing AI’s benefits while minimizing its risks.
In Zimbabwe, we are embracing human-centred AI by integrating it into our education systems to ensure that young Zimbabweans are not mere consumers of technology but co-creators of it,” said Hon. T. Mavetera, Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services of Zimbabwe.
The launch event brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss AI’s potential to drive inclusive and sustainable development in Zimbabwe. The dialogue focused on key questions, such as how Zimbabwe can use AI to accelerate service delivery, facilitate economic diversification, and strengthen connections to national, regional, and global value chains.
UNDP is committed to supporting Zimbabwe’s AI transformation by convening stakeholders, shaping forward-looking policies, building local capacity, and piloting inclusive, home-grown innovations that leave no one behind.
UNDP is already collaborating with various stakeholders to push the frontier of AI for development transformation, including the application of AI and automation in key economic sectors, such as agriculture and healthcare.
SOURCE: UNDP
