Inclusive Digital Transformation and C20 Working Group 7

As economies become increasingly digital, multifaceted challenges must be addressed. Online spaces have been fertile ground for disinformative and hateful content, which harms not only individuals, but also the social fabric of democracies. On the other hand, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence brings opportunities to face urgent challenges in various fields, but also considerable threats to human and fundamental rights, with the risk of increasing and automating inequalities at the expense of techno-solutionism. However, access to these digital technologies and their transformative potential is not ubiquitous, and there is no single solution to address the difficulties that prevent various populations from experiencing meaningful connectivity.

On the other hand, governments have explored investments in alternatives such as digital public infrastructures, recognizing that technologies driven by the public sector can be a significant driver of future development. This joint statement offers recommendations for the G20 to address urgent global challenges through an inclusive and equitable digital transformation. The recommended areas cover the four priorities of the Digital Economy Working Group, which are also key agendas for the Global South, currently part of the G20 Troika. The cross-cutting proposals enshrined here emphasize the unique contexts and problems faced by different groups, such as misinformation, climate and health crises, and intersectional discrimination.