New Delhi: Artificial intelligence presents a major opportunity to make development spending more efficient and job-oriented, a senior World Bank official said here on Friday.
Talking to PTI at the World Sustainable Summit 2026 here, Valerie Hickey, Global Director for Environment at the World Bank, said technology today is where “innovation meets opportunity,” and can help governments and households make better decisions through accurate, accessible and affordable data.
She said artificial intelligence (AI) can strengthen early warning systems for droughts, floods and extreme heat, enabling policymakers and communities to prepare in advance and reduce losses.
“Technology today is where innovation meets opportunity. And this is particularly true when it comes to thinking about where we create jobs. How do we make sure scarce development resources and public budgets get the biggest bang for every single one,” she said.
Highlighting the link between development and climate action, Hickey said the World Bank views climate as an “opportunity agenda” rather than a defensive one.
“Climate and development are inseparable,” she said, adding that the institution focuses on three key areas — building foundational infrastructure, enabling strong and predictable policies and mobilising private capital.
“For us, when it comes to our development and our climate agenda, which are inseparable, there are three things we focus on. The first is making sure foundational infrastructure is in place, whether that’s energy or transport infrastructure, whether it’s natural capital or human capital, it’s absolutely fundamentally tackling development challenges and creating good jobs for everybody,” she said.
“The second thing we focus on is enabling legislation, good, strong policies in place that are predictable and that are implemented by credible government partners, that all lead to private capital mobilisation, because we know that the public sector alone cannot pay for development,” she added.
Describing new climate technologies as transformative, Hickey said they are expanding access to energy, modernising agriculture and strengthening healthcare systems, particularly for vulnerable communities that are the first to face the impacts of heatwaves, droughts and floods.
She underlined that adaptation is not merely about protection but about generating growth and employment.
According to her, improvements in healthcare alone have the potential to create millions of jobs globally while ensuring dignified work opportunities for youth.
Asked about the most urgent climate step, Hickey said it is really thinking about how to create jobs and an opportunity agenda. “Stop thinking about climate as a problem. Think about it as an accelerator of opportunity,” she said.
