Artificial Intelligence and Wealth Distribution: A Unified Framework for Polarisation Within and Between Countries
Abstract
How Artificial Intelligence reshapes wealth distribution has become a key issue. Existing research is mainly divided into two independent branches: within-country and between-country studies. This paper aims to integrate these two dimensions by constructing a unified analytical framework. Firstly, the three factors affecting the distribution effect of Artificial Intelligence have been identified as the industrial structure, institutional environment and position in the Global Value Chain. Based on the empirical evidence from the United States, China and Latin America, the review shows that the inequality patterns within different countries and regions vary due to institutional and structural differences. At the international level, this paper links forecast data from the International Monetary Fund with potential causal paths to show how Artificial Intelligence is concentrating high-value-added activities in developed countries and driving developing countries into low-skilled and easily replaceable segments, thus widening the North-South divide. By connecting these two perspectives, this review provides a more comprehensive understanding of the uneven distribution of wealth caused by Artificial Intelligence.
