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Private sector partnership key to funding digital access for all
To connect the next two billion people to the internet, funding is crucial – and not the small type. The same goes for creating a global warning system that uses satellite data to preempt global disasters. To accomplish these enterprise projects, the UN requires a massive financial war chest.
Few understand the scale better than Axel Van Trotsenburg, the World Bank's Senior Managing Director. But with private-sector partnerships, it can be done, he noted during a Global Stage livestream event at UN headquarters in New York on September 22, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"In Africa, the African Union has taken decisions on the digitalization," he said, "I think we need to scale this massively, and I think it is doable and you see in countries like Kenya that have very sophisticated payment systems, sometimes better than in OECD countries."
The discussion was moderated by Nicholas Thompson of The Atlantic. It was held by GZERO Media in collaboration with the United Nations, the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, and the Early Warnings for All initiative.
Watch the full Global Stage conversation: Can data and AI save lives and make the world safer?
"Access is a fundamental right" - Digital activist Vilas Dhar
The world is fast becoming increasingly digital, with 60% of global GDP driven by digital participation, but over two billion people still lack basic connectivity access.
Vilas Dhar, a leading activist for a more equitable tech-enabled world, emphasizes three elements contributing to this divide: connectivity, data gaps, and technical capacity.
“Access is a fundamental right and not something to be solved by delivering a last mile piece of fiber or connectivity.” he commented during a Global Stage livestream event at UN headquarters in New York on September 22, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Dhar also acknowledges the growing concern of artificial intelligence and the question of who will lead regulation.
“We live in a world where AI is in every headline, and we absolutely acknowledge that the vast majority of AI capacity is held in private sector tech companies. This is in and of itself a digital divide.”
The discussion was moderated by Nicholas Thompson of The Atlantic and was held by GZERO Media in collaboration with the United Nations, the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, and the Early Warnings for All initiative.
Watch the full Global Stage conversation: Can data and AI save lives and make the world safer?
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- COVID upended the job market & focused employers on skills ›
- 2 billion new internet users joined in 5 years but growth is uneven ›
- US-China tech tensions: the impact on the global digital landscape ›
- The digitalization divide: opportunities and challenges in emerging markets ›
2 billion new internet users joined in 5 years but growth is uneven
A whopping two billion new internet users have come online in the past five years. This transformative shift, driven in part by the pandemic, has revolutionized the way people learn and work. But it’s important to note that this growth is not evenly distributed, and significant efforts are required, particularly in Africa, to bridge the digital divide, says Digital Impact Alliance CEO Priya Vora.
Vora emphasizes the importance in addressing issues of trust, individual agency, and data privacy as the digital world continues its rapid expansion. She also touches on the changing landscape of digital commerce, where a few dominant players could translate economic power into political influence. As the conversation and challenges surrounding the digital world evolve, so too should the global response, says Vora.
Vora joined other geotech experts in a GZERO livestream event, presented by Visa, to discuss the challenges and opportunities that nation-states face when it comes to digitization, and how it could shape a more inclusive and resilient future.