March 26th, 2024Digital divide: a matter of ‘life and death’

Today, almost 25 percent of Australians are digitally excluded. This means they miss out on the social, educational and economic benefits that online connectivity enables.

In the face of this ongoing “digital divide”, countries are now talking about a future of inclusive artificial intelligence (AI).

However, if we don’t learn from current problems with digital exclusion, it will likely spill over into people’s future experiences with AI. That’s the conclusion from new research published in the journal AI and Ethics.

Reserchers say decades of research has provided a rich understanding of who is most at risk. In Australia, older people, those living in remote areas, people on lower incomes and First Nations peoples are most likely to find themselves digitally excluded.

Zooming out, they say show that one-third of the world’s population – representing the poorest countries – remains offline. Globally, the digital gender divide also still exists: women, particularly in low and middle-income countries, face substantially more barriers to digital connectivity.

During the COVID pandemic, the impacts of digital inequity became much more obvious. As large swathes of the world’s population had to “shelter in place”– unable to go outside, visit shops, or seek face-to-face contact – anyone without digital access was severely at risk.

Consequences ranged from social isolation to reduced employment opportunities, as well as a lack of access to vital health information. 

The UN Secretary-General stated in 2020 that “the digital divide is now a matter of life and death”.

Words & Image: CSIRO