Digital Inclusion · Artificial Intelligence · Get Online Week · Accessibility

Sector Insight · Our Take

AI Is Changing Digital Exclusion. Our Approach to Digital Inclusion Must Change With It.

Why AI literacy, accessible technology and community-based support must become part of the digital inclusion agenda.

Artificial intelligence is changing how people search for information, communicate, learn, create and participate in society. But as these tools become more commonplace, a critical question remains: what happens to the people who do not yet have the access, skills, confidence or support to use them?

For IFB Gaming, this is not simply a question about adopting a new technology. It is a question about how we design digital inclusion so that people can move beyond access towards capability, confidence and meaningful participation.

And during Get Online Week, we saw a small but encouraging example of what that participation can look like in practice.

The digital divide is changing

Digital exclusion is often discussed as though it primarily concerns people who are offline. The evidence presents a more complex picture.

Good Things Foundation’s October 2026 research found that 62% of UK adults face at least one challenge using digital technology in everyday life. Three-quarters of this group are working-age adults, and almost half live in households earning less than £30,000 a year.

The research also found that only half of UK adults feel confident doing most things they need to do online, while 40% worry about being left behind as more services move online. That figure has risen from 34% in 2025.

Meanwhile, Good Things Foundation’s Digital Nation 2026 findings report that 72% of adults lack confidence using AI in daily life.

These findings point to a challenge that cannot be resolved by connectivity alone. People may own a smartphone, access the internet and use digital services while still lacking the confidence or capability to navigate emerging technologies independently and safely.

As AI becomes embedded in everyday tools and services, digital inclusion must evolve accordingly.

What happened at Get Online Week?

During our Get Online Week activity, a resident created an AI-generated banner using the event’s theme and then invited other residents to attend and receive help.

We see value in this example because it brings several dimensions of digital inclusion together.

• Digital capability: the resident applied an AI tool to produce something with a practical purpose.
• Communication: the banner helped convey an invitation to other members of the community.
• Participation: the resident was contributing to the event, rather than simply attending to receive support.
• Community connection: technology became a means of encouraging other people to seek help.

We should not overstate what one example proves. It does, however, illustrate a useful possibility: with appropriate support, people can use AI not only to complete tasks, but also to contribute to the communities around them.

It also raises a question for digital inclusion practitioners. How might our services create more opportunities for residents to move from being recipients of support to active contributors, creators and peer connectors?

AI literacy must be part of digital inclusion

AI literacy is not simply knowing which tools to use or how to write a prompt. It includes understanding what AI can and cannot do, evaluating its outputs, protecting personal information, recognising potential misinformation and knowing when human judgement or support is needed.

People should have opportunities to explore AI through relevant, practical activities, at a pace that works for them. They should also be able to question the technology, make informed choices and decide when not to use it.

Good Things Foundation’s AI Literacy Gateway is one existing resource that community organisations can use to support learning about AI. Its interactive learning materials address AI fundamentals, safety, privacy and the evaluation of AI-generated content.

For organisations delivering frontline support, resources such as these can complement practical guidance, accessible learning activities and trusted human support.

Where IFB Gaming fits

At IFB Gaming, our work brings together digital inclusion, learning, accessibility and the role of play in supporting participation. We are interested not only in whether people can access technology, but in whether they can use it meaningfully within their own lives and communities.

From Devices to Impact

Our From Devices to Impact Digital Inclusion Toolkit reflects the principle that devices and connectivity are important foundations, but do not in themselves guarantee inclusion.

Skills, confidence, accessibility, safety and the ability to participate all matter. As AI changes the digital landscape, these foundations need to include opportunities to understand and use emerging technologies critically and responsibly.

Stage Index: connecting people with support

Our Stage Index is designed to help identify needs and relevant support pathways, connecting people with appropriate frontline organisations and services.

This matters because learning about AI does not remove every barrier a person may face. Someone may need connectivity, an accessible device, help with a digital task or support from a trusted organisation. Digital inclusion works best when learning and practical pathways are connected.

Gaming, interaction and accessible engagement

Gaming also offers useful ways to think about how people engage with learning. Game mechanics, game dynamics and digital engagement models can help structure activities around exploration, feedback, achievable steps, practice and progression.

Used thoughtfully, these approaches can provide alternative entry points into digital learning. An interactive activity may give someone a more approachable way to experiment, ask questions or practise a new skill before applying it to an everyday task.

For AI literacy, this might include comparing different AI-generated responses, exploring how a prompt changes an output, or learning to check information before sharing it. The emphasis should be on understanding and informed judgement, rather than simply completing a game or earning a reward.

Accessibility must remain central. Activities should allow people to engage at their own pace, with clear instructions, appropriate sensory demands, alternative ways to participate and human assistance when needed. Gamification is not a substitute for accessible design, and it will not be the right approach for everyone.

From access to capability to participation

The resident who created the AI banner offers a practical illustration of the progression we want digital inclusion to support:

This is not a universal pathway, nor does every person need to create content to be digitally included. It is a useful way to frame the opportunity: digital inclusion should enable people to do what matters to them, whether that means accessing a service, communicating with family, learning something new or contributing to their community.

What policymakers, funders and service providers should consider

If AI is changing how people access information and participate in society, digital inclusion strategies need to respond. We believe four priorities deserve attention.

1. Protect the foundations. Affordable connectivity, suitable devices, accessible services and basic digital skills remain essential.
2. Invest in community-based AI literacy. People need trusted, practical opportunities to understand AI and build confidence, including opportunities to question and evaluate its outputs.
3. Design for different ways of learning. Interactive and gaming-informed approaches can complement established teaching and support, provided accessibility and personal choice guide their use.
4. Measure meaningful participation. Alongside access and adoption, evaluate whether people can complete relevant tasks, make informed decisions, act independently where appropriate and contribute in ways that matter to them.

These priorities align with Good Things Foundation’s call for more affordable connectivity and sustained investment in community-based digital and AI skills support. They also reinforce the need for collaboration between public services, community organisations, researchers and technology providers.

The opportunity is bigger than using AI

The question is not whether everyone should use AI for every task. It is whether everyone has a fair opportunity to understand the technology, make informed choices about it and participate in a society that is increasingly shaped by it.

The resident-created banner at Get Online Week was a small but meaningful example of how AI can be applied to a community purpose. It showed how a person can use a digital tool to communicate an invitation and encourage others to access support.

For IFB Gaming, this reinforces the importance of connecting access with capability, and capability with participation. It is also why we explore the relationship between digital inclusion, accessible learning and gaming-informed engagement.

AI should not become another dividing line between those who can participate and those who cannot. With accessible learning, practical support and inclusive systems, it can become one more way for people to learn, create and contribute.

Further reading

• Good Things Foundation: New research calls for Budget action, October 2026
• Good Things Foundation: Digital Nation 2026
• Good Things Foundation: The AI Literacy Gateway
• IFB Gaming: From Devices to Impact Digital Inclusion Toolkit
• IFB Gaming: Stage Index

IFB Gaming is a London-based research and learning organisation working at the intersection of play, lifelong learning and social exclusion.