Digital Exclusion

The Challenge

AI language models overlook low-resource languages, marginalizing cultural knowledge and communities. As digital technologies become increasingly central to economic participation and social inclusion, the gap between those with access to these technologies and those without continues to widen. Key concerns include:

• Linguistic Marginalization: AI systems predominantly support major languages, leaving speakers of indigenous and minority languages without access to critical AI-powered services and information resources.
• Infrastructure Disparities: Rural and low-income communities often lack the digital infrastructure necessary to access high-bandwidth applications and services, creating geographic barriers to participation.
• Digital Literacy Gaps: Unequal access to digital education and training creates barriers for many individuals to effectively use and benefit from increasingly complex digital technologies.
• Algorithmic Invisibility: Communities underrepresented in digital spaces become "invisible" to algorithms that shape resource allocation, content creation, and service development decisions.

Our Approach

The Global Tech Governance Institute takes an inclusive approach to addressing digital exclusion:

• Universal Digital Access Policies: Developing regulatory frameworks that treat internet access as an essential service and ensure affordable connectivity for all communities regardless of location or income.
• Linguistic Diversity Requirements: Creating standards and incentives for technology companies to support a wider range of languages and dialects in their products and services.
• Digital Literacy Programs: Implementing educational initiatives that build digital skills across all age groups and communities, with particular focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations.
• Inclusive Design Standards: Promoting accessibility and usability guidelines that ensure digital technologies are designed to accommodate diverse users with varying abilities and resources.

Current Initiatives

Our work in this area currently includes:

Matrix Integration

Key Publications