INTERVIEW - AI's cyber threat puts developing nations at risk, warns UN telecom chief

​​​​​​​By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the digital landscape -- from powering life-saving innovation to enabling increasingly complex cyber threats -- developing countries are being left dangerously exposed, warned Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

In an interview with Anadolu, Zavazava painted a sobering picture of the widening digital divide. He stressed that without urgent international support, harmonized cyber governance and targeted capacity-building, vulnerable nations risk are becoming "the weakest link" in global cybersecurity.

"The landscape is changing. It’s a moving target," he said. "Technology is evolving, and as it comes with opportunities, it also comes with new challenges. And that is what is happening with artificial intelligence."

While wealthier nations scramble to keep pace with emerging AI risks from deepfakes to autonomous cyberattacks, many developing countries are still struggling to build basic digital infrastructure.

According to Zavazava, the lack of foundational connectivity prevents them from engaging meaningfully in the global AI conversation or creating localized digital content.

"We are concerned about the lack of universal connectivity, particularly in the least developed and developing countries," he noted.

But infrastructure is only one part of the challenge. Fragile institutions, underfunded public agencies and legal frameworks that lag behind technological advances leave many of those countries ill-equipped to deal with the growing scale and sophistication of cyber threats.

"Critical infrastructure is critical, as the word says so," said Zavazava. "If it is hacked or disrupted, then everybody is going to suffer."

- Call for global solidarity

Zavazava emphasized that cybersecurity cannot be tackled in isolation. Instead, he called for deeper global partnerships and broader multi-stakeholder engagement.

"There must be harmonization of practices," he said. "Those that are more developed have lessons to share with those struggling to keep up with evolving technology and the threats that come with artificial intelligence."

But despite the shared interest in digital stability, funding remains a major hurdle. Zavazava put it plainly: "Funding does not grow on trees." He urged closer cooperation with financiers, development banks and countries with greater resources to bridge the gap.

To that end, the ITU has launched initiatives such as Cyber for Good, aimed at mobilizing industry partners to provide technical and financial assistance to vulnerable nations.

"There are 46 least developed countries that are weak and very vulnerable," Zavazava said. "We are there as an international organization to make sure that we build capacity, strengthen institutions and keep them safe."

His remarks came shortly after returning from the ITU’s Global Cyber Drill in Dubai, where more than 130 countries participated in joint exercises designed to improve national readiness for cyberattacks.

"Together, we can fight this evil, where technology comes to hunt and to harm," he said. "We don’t want any country to remain behind just because it doesn't have the resources."

The drills, he added, are not just about a technical response but also peer learning between developed and developing states. "We are always learning," he said. "As cyber threats come, we must understand their nature."

- The AI challenge

While AI holds the potential to revolutionize sectors like health, education and agriculture, Zavazava warned that without strong governance, it could amplify existing inequalities and risks.

"Artificial intelligence provides that component," he said. "But you also have to be prepared … when cyber threat comes and becomes imminent."

Despite a recent UN General Assembly resolution promoting responsible AI governance, Zavazava said the international frameworks remain fragmented. The ITU has developed more than 100 technical standards, but gaps in global coordination persist.

"We still have a lot of challenges in terms of international governance of artificial intelligence,” he said. “We still have problems with legal frameworks that are shared."

He underlined that support to developing nations must go beyond infrastructure -- empowering them to participate in shaping digital futures on their own terms.

"We want them to generate their own local content so they can tell their story," he said, "and so there are no biases."

- Looking forward: Connectivity as foundation

When asked what the most urgent priority is to ensure no country is left behind, Zavazava’s answer was clear: connectivity.

"It begins with connectivity," he said. "To make sure that every living person is within reach, has access, has the skills and can use technology to benefit themselves, their communities and their families."

He added that it must be accompanied by regulatory readiness, legal protections for individual privacy and coherent international cooperation.

"You may be safe today, but tomorrow you may be a victim," Zavazava warned. "We have to rally together, mobilize resources, and use them efficiently to address the key danger to humanity -- which I think we will overcome."

As AI continues to reshape the global digital ecosystem, Zavazava insists that failing to bring the world’s most vulnerable nations along is not just a development issue -- it's a shared global risk.​​​​​​​