Advances in digital technology and artificial intelligence hold great promise to boost economic prosperity and address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, but they can also worsen economic disparities and even undermine democratic governance. As these technologies transform business and work, they are shifting growth and distributional dynamics in major ways—in both advanced and developing economies. Their economic and social implications are profound.
In harnessing the potential of today’s technological transformations to build inclusive prosperity, democratic societies face important questions. How can digital government advance equity and provide essential services for all? How does technological change contribute to the current rise in inequality in many countries and what are the implications for public policy? How can disruptive innovation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa and the Global South accelerate inclusive economic transformation and quality job creation, especially for youth, women, and sustainable development?
On March 16, the Brookings Global Forum on Democracy and Technology hosted a symposium to consider these questions and more. President of Brookings John R. Allen delivered welcoming remarks, Brookings Nonresident Fellow Priya Vora moderated a fireside chat with Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development Isobel Coleman, and three separate panels of policymakers, practitioners, and researchers will discussed the complex relationship surrounding democratic societies, technology, and inequality.
Viewers submitted questions via email to [email protected] or via Twitter at #TechforInclusiveGrowth.
Agenda
-
March 16
-
Opening remarks
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm
-
Session I
1:15 pm - 2:00 pm
Moderator
Panelist
Hannes Astok Executive Director, Chairman of the Management Board - Estonia’s e-Governance AcademyKay McGowan Senior Director for Research, Policy, and Advocacy - Digital Impact AlliancePramod Varma CTO - Ekstep Foundation, Chief Architect - Aadhaar and India Stack, Co-founder - Beckn Foundation -
Session II
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Panelist
François Bourguignon Emeritus Professor of Economics - Paris School of Economics, Director of Studies - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences SocialesDeepak Mishra Director and Chief Executive - Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), India -
Fireside chat with Ambassador Isobel Coleman
2:45 pm - 3:30 pm
Moderator
Priya Vora Nonresident Fellow - Global Economy and Development, Center for Sustainable Development -
Session III
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Panelist
Louise Fox Nonresident Senior Fellow - Global Economy and Development, Africa Growth Initiative @LouiseFox_econ
-