AI Set to Transform Global Trade, Says WTO Report

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could create a new era of global inequality unless poorer countries can share in the benefits. 

AI could boost goods and services trade by nearly 40% by 2040, according to econometric modelling by the International trade body, which urged rich world governments not to repeat the mistake of previous rounds of globalisation. 

“AI could deepen inequalities rather than reducing them,” warned WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in the Organisation’s annual trade report, which was published on Wednesday. “Recent decades of globalisation delivered major gains for both rich and poor countries, but many people and regions did not share adequately in the benefits,” she wrote. “This exclusion has much to do with today’s tensions around trade — and it is an experience we cannot afford to repeat with the ai Revolution.” 

The WTO warned that the concentration of ai resources in rich-world countries, including regulatory and computational power, risked leaving “entire economies” behind, if steps were not taken to broaden access. its modelling found that poorer economies’ incomes would rise by 8% by 2040 if they were unable to catch up, compared with 14% for high-income countries.

Reference Sources

1. ft - AI risks widening global wealth gap, WTO warns
2. thestarmy - AI set to transform global trade, says World Trade Organization report
3. aawsat - AI Set to Transform Global Trade, Says World Trade Organization Report

Amazon investing over $1 billion to raise employee pay-and-lower health care costs

Amazon is investing over $1 billion to raise wages and lower Healthcare costs for its US fulfillment and transportation employees.

The average pay will increase to more than $23 per hour, while full-time employees will see their pay increase by $1,600 per year.

The company is also lowering the cost of its entry-level health care plan to $5 per week and $5 for Co-Pays, starting in 2026.

This will reduce weekly contributions by 34% and Co-Pays by 87% for primary care, mental health, and most Non-Specialist visits for employees using the basic plan.

Amazon has a global workforce of 1.5 million workers. last December, seven Amazon facilities went on strike, an effort by the teamsters Union to pressure the E-Commerce company for a labor agreement during a key shopping period. that same month, Amazon reached a settlement with the occupational safety and health administration.

Reference Sources

1. thestarmy - Amazon investing over $1 billion to raise employee pay-and-lower health care costs
2. cnbc - Amazon invests over $1 billion to raise employee pay, lower health-care costs
3. abc - Amazon spends $1 billion to increase pay and lower health care costs for US workers
4. aawsat - Amazon Invests over $1 billion to Raise Employee Pay, Lower Healthcare Costs

Meta to debut costlier smart glasses with display at annual Connect event

(Source: AP)

Meta is expected to showcase its first consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in display, a device that analysts predict will retail for about $800. internally codenamed "Hypernova," the glasses are expected to be launched as "Celeste," and will feature a small digital display in the right lens for basic functions such as notifications.

The new glasses are the latest in Meta's effort to stay relevant in the AI race, where it is lagging rivals such as OpenAI and Alphabet's Google, but analysts said the device's hefty price tag could deter buyers.

Reference Sources

1. apnews - Meta expected to unveil new smart glasses at Connect event
2. newyorkpost - Meta set to unveil new smart glasses at Connect event
3. techcrunch - Meta Connect 2025: What to expect and how to watch
4. usnews - Meta Expected to Unveil New Smart Glasses at Connect Event
5. thestarmy - Meta to debut costlier smart glasses with display at annual Connect event

The CommonWealth English daily news digest is a service curated by CommonWealth English team with the help of AI tools.  

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