Google and the World Bank Group have partnered to build AI-powered digital identity systems in emerging markets using artificial intelligence in a move that will deploy Open Network Stacks, to help citizens access vital services.
By combining Google Cloud’s AI technology, including its Gemini models, with the World Bank Group’s development expertise, the initiative helps governments quickly create interoperable networks for critical sectors like agriculture, healthcare and skilling. Citizens can interact with these AI-powered services in over 40 languages, even on simple devices.
The collaboration builds on a successful pro bono pilot in Uttar Pradesh in India that helped thousands of smallholder farmers increase profitability. To foster a sustainable and open ecosystem, Google.org is providing funding to the new nonprofit Networks for Humanity (NFH), to build universal digital infrastructure (Beckn open network and Finternet asset tokenization), establish regional innovation labs and pilot social impact applications globally.
By deploying Open Network Stacks, which act like digital infrastructure to help citizens access vital services, the two firms will allow multiple services and institutions to connect and share data securely and interconnect services from agricultural marketplaces to healthcare records and skills-matching platforms.
Google Cloud will contribute its Gemini AI models and cloud-based infrastructure, while the World Bank Group provides its development expertise, financing instruments, and policy support to help countries build interoperable ecosystems at national scale. Citizens will be able to access AI-powered public services in over 40 languages, even on basic feature phones.
In Uttar Pradesh, India, the firms helped thousands of smallholder farmers connect to digital marketplaces and advisory platforms, improving yields and profitability. The initiative brought together a collection of open APIs for identity, payments, and data exchange nationwide.
In Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, various initiatives have been launched to enable digital IDs, data exchange, transaction APIs, and service discovery tools such as Kenya’s eCitizen to create a common foundation for digital services, underscoring a global shift toward viewing digital systems as public goods.
If scaled successfully, the alliance could accelerate digital access for hundreds of millions of people, fostering small-business participation, smarter agriculture, and improved social-service delivery. But challenges remain. Data privacy and trust frameworks must evolve alongside new infrastructure. Ensuring openness — and avoiding capture by a handful of global tech players — will require strong governance. Connectivity and digital literacy gaps could still limit uptake in rural and low-income areas.
In Africa, governments are already building the foundation for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) — systems that provide citizens with digital IDs, payment rails, and shared data platforms. For example, Kenya launched its eCitizen platform, the Huduma number, and a thriving mobile money ecosystem led by M-Pesa while Nigeria is developing national digital identity systems and open banking frameworks to connect financial services and startups.
South Africa on the other hand is expanding its smart city initiatives and broadband connectivity through public-private partnerships while Rwanda and Ghana are positioning themselves as regional testbeds for digital policy, skilling, and AI governance. The Google–World Bank partnership is expected to build on these national programs to create interconnected, AI-enabled service networks that can scale regionally.
To make the initiative sustainable, Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, is funding a new nonprofit called Networks for Humanity (NFH). The organization will also establish regional innovation labs in Nairobi, Lagos, and Cape Town, where local developers, governments, and startups can co-create AI-powered applications for public use — from precision agriculture to health diagnostics and education access.
Africa’s digital economy is projected to reach $712 billion by 2050, according to the World Bank and IFC, but growth depends on strong, inclusive digital infrastructure. Most countries still face challenges in interoperability, connectivity, and data sharing, barriers the new alliance aims to solve. By combining AI, cloud infrastructure, and open digital standards, Google and the World Bank hope to give countries a framework to build their own “digital public highways”, reusable systems that any innovation can travel on. If implemented well, the Google–World Bank alliance could mark a turning point, one where AI, open networks, and inclusive policy come together to accelerate Africa’s rise in the global digital economy.
