Artificial intelligence offers unprecedented opportunities for innovation and economic growth. However, current development trajectories risk excluding billions, especially those in Global Majority countries, from meaningfully accessing these benefits. The existing AI governance ecosystem lacks systematic mechanisms to ensure equitable global AI diffusion while also managing risks. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a framework for AI benefit-sharing – the fair distribution of and access to AI’s opportunities and gains under conditions of safety. It integrates three pillars: redistribution of economic gains, technology transfer and capacity-building, and non-proliferation of dangerous capabilities. We address factors hindering equitable AI governance, clarify the conceptual foundations of benefit-sharing, and outline prerequisites for readiness among Global Majority states. Combining the analytical and operational dimensions, this framework maps out specific AI benefit-sharing mechanisms, offering a viable toolkit for building a more equitable future.
