🌟 Honored to have delivered a keynote at the Digital Inclusion in the Nordic-Baltic Region conference (14-15 May 2024) organized by Nordregio 🌟

I had the privilege of opening the section on Future Trends: Digital Inclusion in the Era of Industry 4.0 with a talk titled “Digital Inclusion in the Era of AI.” My focus was on the critical importance of promoting digital equity and inclusion as we navigate an AI-driven future.

As AI continues to shape our world, there’s a growing risk of further marginalizing the digital underclass. We delved into how AI systems, trained on vast datasets, can perpetuate existing biases in society, leading to algorithmic bias and unfair decision-making, particularly impacting marginalized groups.

To combat these disparities, we explored strategies to foster a more inclusive digital landscape. Collaboration across sectors—government, private companies, non-profits, academia, and community groups—is key to pooling resources and expertise in advancing digital equity goals.

My message underscored the need to:
🔍 Advocate for policies addressing AI’s impact on social inequalities, tackling algorithmic bias, ensuring data privacy, and promoting equitable AI access.
📊 Establish systems to monitor AI’s impact on social inequalities, using evidence-based research to inform policy and reduce disparities.
🏛️ Push for local and regional policy changes prioritizing digital equity and inclusion in AI governance, focusing on algorithmic fairness, data privacy, and equitable AI access.

A heartfelt thank you to Nordregio for the invitation, and to all attendees for their engaging questions, thoughtful reflections, and valuable insights.

Thank you. 🙏