Oxford Martin policy brief proposes G20 mechanisms for more equitable access to AI compute

A policy brief dated September 24, 2026 sets out how the G20 could widen fair access to AI compute. Compute is described as the specialised chips, data centres, software and operating capacity on which AI systems depend. The brief says control over it is concentrated at almost every layer of the AI stack, which creates systemic risks and a new kind of digital divide.

According to the brief, most countries cannot build or govern enough compute to serve public priorities in AI development. They depend on capacity handed out according to commercial priorities and have little say over its price, availability or allocation.

The brief argues that fair cooperation on compute rests on three coordination problems that only international action can resolve. First, current approaches stress autonomy and capacity while leaving usability and control unaddressed. Second, missing interoperability, governance frameworks and shared standards lead countries to overspend on compute and then underuse it. Third, there is no standardised information for assessing and forecasting supply and demand between countries.

To respond, the brief says the G20 is well placed to pursue three lines of action. One is building a shared evidence base, working with international bodies including the OECD, that measures the compute available inside a jurisdiction and the share subject to public allocation rights, starting with voluntary self-reporting. Another is aligning public financing and procurement so that public money along the supply chain carries access and benefit considerations. Suggested tools include benefit-sharing principles, a toolkit of model contract clauses, and treating public compute as part of how development banks fund digital infrastructure. The last is voluntary arrangements for pooled access and interoperability among public compute programmes, so public-interest workloads can use capacity across participating jurisdictions and portability strengthens resilience.