The Dominican Republic continues to enjoy a high Human Development Index (HDI), despite a slight dip in life expectancy at birth, according to the latest Human Development Report 2025 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Globally, the HDI has slowed to its lowest level in 35 years, raising concerns among UNDP officials. “This unexpected decline is a cause for alarm and requires further investigation,” said Yancun Zhang, UNDP chief statistician.
The report shows the Dominican Republic’s HDI experienced a temporary setback between 2020 and 2021, followed by a significant rebound in 2022. While the index dropped slightly by 0.002 in 2023, reaching 0.754 in 2024, the country still ranks highly compared to previous years.
However, life expectancy at birth registered a minor decline, prompting UNDP experts to call for an investigation due to the apparent lack of identifiable causes within the national context.
Haiti’s HDI remains significantly lower than its Caribbean neighbors, registering a 20% accumulated deficit. This stark disparity could exacerbate inequalities and represents a loss of nearly 40% in HDI compared to countries like Chile.
During a virtual press conference, Michelle Muschett, UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Pedro Conceição, director of the Human Development Report Office, highlighted key findings from the report titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).”
The report reveals a troubling trend: global human development is losing momentum and becoming increasingly fragile, while disparities between rich and poor countries are widening. Without intervention, the world risks facing a development crisis.
UNDP advocates for a people-centered approach to AI, emphasizing its potential to fundamentally reshape development strategies. A global survey included in the report shows widespread readiness for this technological “reset.”
The study explores public expectations regarding AI’s role in key areas such as work, health, and education. While recognizing AI’s potential impact on these sectors, UNDP officials also caution against its possible effects on social cohesion and public liberties. They stress the need for inclusive strategies to bridge gaps and prevent historical inequalities from deepening further.
“AI requires linguistic context because it makes mistakes, hallucinates, and invents things,” explained Conceição. “Human evaluation is crucial.”
The 2025 Human Development Report: A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence argues that while global HDI is projected to reach its highest historical level in 2024, the forecasted increase will be the lowest since record-keeping began 35 years ago.
The dramatic slowdown in HDI progress affects all developing regions globally. The momentum behind global human development is fading, and the most vulnerable are falling further behind.
“The future is in our hands,” concluded Conceição. “By building a complementary economy, fostering intentional innovation, and investing in meaningful capabilities, societies can leverage AI to expand choices and possibilities for all.”
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Listin Diario
8 May 2025