Lagos: The Gates Foundation has announced plans to invest at least one billion dollars over the next two years to expand access to artificial intelligence (AI). The investment aims to ensure that AI benefits reach people and communities that have often been left behind by technological advances. The announcement was contained in the foundation’s 2026 Goalkeepers Report, titled ‘Make This Matter: AI, Equity, and the Choice We Can’t Delay’ made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the report marks the 10th edition of the annual Goalkeepers publication. It said that AI could either become a powerful tool for narrowing global inequalities or deepen existing gaps if access and development are left largely to market forces. It added that the direction of AI was not predetermined, highlighting a limited opportunity to influence who benefits from the technology.
The report indicates that foundation-supported partners are already applying AI in clinics, classrooms, and on small farms to address practical challenges affecting people’s health, education, and livelihoods. Mr. Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, emphasized that the foundation was created partly to address a basic market failure-where those with the greatest needs often lack the power to influence innovation and investment direction.
Gates remarked that AI presents a similar challenge, but at a much greater speed. He expressed concern that if AI development is left to market forces, the most capable tools would likely be developed first for those with the greatest ability to pay, potentially leaving behind those who could benefit the most. He called for deliberate choices by governments and technology companies to harness AI for good, urging them to measure success not just by profitability but by its impact on those who stand to gain the most.
The report outlined key areas for action to ensure AI’s inclusivity and utility across different regions, languages, and economic circumstances. A priority is to ensure AI tools work in the languages people speak, as over 90 percent of data for training early large language models came from English-language sources, leaving many communities underrepresented.
The foundation advocates for greater investment in datasets and AI systems that can understand and respond to a broader range of languages. It also stresses the importance of developing AI for the environments in which it will be used, involving local communities in the data collection and management processes.
Another priority is investment in people and access, providing opportunities for doctors, farmers, teachers, and developers to understand AI systems, assess their reliability, and adapt useful tools to their circumstances. Affordable access to AI will require collaboration among technology companies, governments, and philanthropic organizations.
The foundation’s funding allocation includes 40 percent for education, supporting AI tutoring and classroom tools, another 40 percent for healthcare, focusing on diagnostics and frontline health worker support, 10 percent for agriculture, offering AI-generated advice to smallholder farmers, and the remaining 10 percent for building the digital foundations required for equitable AI.
The foundation calls on governments, technology companies, philanthropies, and other stakeholders to contribute resources and expertise toward making AI more useful, accessible, and affordable. It underscores that equitable access to AI will not happen automatically but can potentially transform opportunities for millions.
The Gates Foundation’s approach aligns with its broader efforts to apply AI to global health, education, and agriculture, including a multi-year partnership announced earlier in 2026 to develop AI tools for underserved communities. The foundation aims to ensure AI development is shaped by those expected to use the technology, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
NAN reports that the Goalkeepers initiative seeks to accelerate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through data, stories, and action. Its annual reports track progress and highlight innovations aimed at tackling poverty, disease, and inequality. The 2026 report calls for immediate action to ensure AI becomes a tool for expanding opportunity rather than a source of inequality.