Google and the World Bank Group have announced a strategic collaboration to develop AI-powered public digital infrastructure in emerging markets, aiming to transform critical sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and workforce development. A pro bono pilot in Uttar Pradesh demonstrated the potential of the initiative, helping thousands of smallholder farmers enhance productivity, optimize inputs, and increase profitability through accessible AI-driven tools.

The partnership combines Google Cloud’s advanced AI technologies, including its Gemini models, with the World Bank Group’s development expertise to create interoperable networks that governments can leverage to deliver scalable, high-impact solutions. By integrating AI into public systems, emerging markets can enable farmers, healthcare providers, and students to access predictive insights, data-driven recommendations, and automated services through simple devices, even in multiple languages.

As part of the initiative, Google.org is funding the newly established nonprofit Networks for Humanity (NFH) to develop universal digital infrastructure, set up regional innovation labs, and pilot social impact applications globally. The collaboration is designed to build resilience at the foundational level, ensuring that digital tools, infrastructure, and support systems are integrated from the outset to prevent seasonal shocks from becoming systemic setbacks.

In India, Google will invest $15 billion over the next five years to establish an AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, which will include the company’s largest data center outside the United States. The campus will feature a 1-gigawatt data center, expanded fiber optic networks, and new large-scale energy sources, creating a regional hub for AI innovation, development, and deployment across critical sectors.

By combining cutting-edge AI, scalable public digital platforms, and development expertise, the Google–World Bank collaboration aims to accelerate sustainable, inclusive growth in emerging markets while laying the groundwork for next-generation public services that can be adapted and expanded worldwide.