Johannesburg: Malaysia's prime minister warned the G20 countries that artificial intelligence (AI) will reshape labor markets at "a pace our institutions will struggle to match" during the G20 leaders' summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday. "When policies are aligned and rules are predictable, shocks pass through with less damage. Resilience comes from common preparedness, not isolation," Anwar Ibrahim Anwar said, adding that this lesson matters, because "the next disruption" will likely be harder to bear.

According to Anadolu Agency, Anwar emphasized that "artificial intelligence will reorganize labor markets at a pace our institutions will struggle to match without early investment in transitions." He highlighted that workers, especially the young and women, will face these shifts alone. Reflecting on past global challenges, Anwar noted that unpreparedness for globalization led to stagnant wages, eroding trust, and the rise of grievance-based politics.

"With AI, destabilization becomes a real risk if countries enter this transition unprepared," he stated, identifying this as "one of the defining challenges of our times." To mitigate these risks, Anwar urged countries to "equip their people, especially the young, for the speed of technological change," and to strengthen safety nets while supporting small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

He further asserted that "global resilience cannot be built on fiscal exhaustion" and emphasized the need for countries to have the capacity to "invest ahead of disruption, not after." He also called on multilateral development banks to be ready to deploy "more quickly and work closely with countries."

Anwar drew parallels with South Africa's and the African continent's history, citing their endurance of the "most dehumanizing aspect of apartheid and colonization." He stressed that the Global South countries expect the G20 to adopt an agenda "that is just and fair" and to firmly resolve to end the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, as well as to pursue a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine.

Anwar is attending the two-day summit as a guest of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.