Bridging the Digital Divide: How AI Can Transform Inequality into Opportunity… If We Take Action Now

The digital divide, for a topic that separates the world so dramatically, often feels under discussed. Conversations about AI and new technology are everywhere, yet far less attention is paid to who is actually able to take part.

The goal of this post is about opening space for discussion and looking honestly at how emerging technologies intersect with access and opportunity.

Important work is already happening. Organisations like the Alliance for Affordable Internet, UNICEF’s Giga initiative, Worldreader, Girl Effect, and the Digital Public Goods Alliance are expanding access in meaningful ways. Even so, access alone has not solved deeper issues, and in some places the divide has simply changed shape.

While working on a short documentary, we spent time speaking with young people in Africa whose futures will be shaped by forces largely outside their control. What stood out was not a single statistic or trend, but a recurring tension. There seems to be a narrow window in late adolescence and early adulthood where expectations rise faster than access does. Some young people move forward easily because digital tools are already part of their daily lives. Others struggle not because they lack ability, but because they lack consistent access, reliable tools, or guidance at a key moment when those things begin to matter more.

This is where the limits of data become clear.

Data shows where access exists, but it doesn’t always show how people are able to use it. Many communities have infrastructure that qualifies as “connected,” yet the connection may be too slow for learning platforms, too expensive to rely on, or only available during limited hours. The numbers point to progress, but the practical experience is often far more limited.

As AI becomes more present in hiring, education, healthcare, and finance, the cost of limited access grows. Tools designed around stable internet and modern devices can quietly push some people further to the margins. At the same time, AI can also create new entry points. Used thoughtfully, it can support learning, assist frontline healthcare workers, and widen access to financial services.

One moment from our film stayed with us. An older student suggested a simple idea. One person learns, then passes that knowledge on. Only later did we recognise how closely this mirrored the idea of Harambee, a Kiswahili term centred on collective effort and shared responsibility. Whether intentional or instinctive, the message was the same. Progress does not always start with technology. Often it starts with people sharing what they know.

AI can reinforce existing patterns. It can also help reshape them.

Which path unfolds will depend less on what the technology can do and more on how deliberately we choose to use it.