AI and the Next Phase of Digital Inclusion: What Communities Need to Know

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of everyday digital life.

From search engines and customer service chatbots to healthcare systems, online learning platforms, and workplace tools, AI is quietly shaping how information is delivered and how decisions are made.

For many people, this shift is exciting. AI promises greater efficiency, smarter tools, and new ways of solving complex problems.

But for communities already facing digital barriers, the rise of AI raises an important question:

What happens when digital inclusion moves into the age of artificial intelligence?

Digital Inclusion Has Entered a New Phase

For many years, digital inclusion efforts focused on three core challenges:

• access to devices and connectivity
• basic digital skills
• confidence using online services

Organisations across the UK and around the world have made enormous progress in helping individuals access the internet and develop the skills needed to participate in a digital society.

However, as AI systems become embedded in digital services, the nature of digital inclusion is beginning to change.

Digital participation will increasingly require people to understand how automated systems generate information, make recommendations, and sometimes make decisions.

This represents a new stage in the digital inclusion journey.

When Digital Services Become AI-Driven

Artificial intelligence is already influencing many services people rely on every day.

Examples include:

• automated customer service systems
• job recruitment screening tools
• recommendation engines on digital platforms
• AI-powered educational tools
• decision-support systems in healthcare and finance

While these systems can improve efficiency and accessibility, they also introduce new challenges.

Users may not always understand:

• where the information is coming from
• how decisions are being made
• whether an AI-generated answer is reliable
• how their personal data is being used

Without the right support, individuals who have recently become digitally included may find themselves facing a new layer of complexity.

The Role of Community Organisations

Community organisations have long played an essential role in supporting digital inclusion.

Libraries, charities, community centres, and local support networks often act as trusted intermediaries between digital systems and the people who use them.

As AI becomes more widespread, these organisations may become equally important in helping communities understand and navigate intelligent technologies.

This could involve helping individuals:

• understand what AI tools are and how they work
• recognise AI-generated content
• verify information produced by automated systems
• protect personal data when using AI-powered services
• explore how AI might support learning, employment, or creativity

In this sense, community organisations may increasingly act as AI translators — helping people interact confidently with emerging technologies.

AI Literacy as a Community Skill

Just as digital literacy became a key skill over the past decade, AI literacy may soon become equally important.

AI literacy does not require everyone to become a programmer or data scientist.

Instead, it focuses on helping people understand:

• what AI can and cannot do
• how AI systems learn from data
• where bias or errors might occur
• how to question and verify automated outputs

This knowledge helps individuals remain informed and confident users of digital systems.

Creating Safe Spaces to Explore AI

One of the most effective ways to support communities in understanding new technologies is through safe, supportive environments where people can explore and ask questions.

Community workshops, digital hubs, and learning programmes can provide opportunities for people to experiment with AI tools while receiving guidance from trusted facilitators.

These environments can help individuals:

• explore AI-powered tools without pressure
• understand both the opportunities and risks of AI
• develop confidence interacting with intelligent systems
• see how AI might support everyday tasks

The goal is not simply to promote AI adoption, but to ensure that people can engage with technology critically, safely, and confidently.

Looking Ahead

Artificial intelligence will likely continue to transform many aspects of digital life in the years ahead.

As this transformation unfolds, digital inclusion efforts must evolve alongside it.

Ensuring that communities can understand and navigate AI-powered systems will be essential to maintaining equitable access to digital services and opportunities.

At IFB Gaming, we are interested in exploring how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence intersect with community learning, digital inclusion, and the broader digital society.

The future of digital inclusion may not only be about getting people online.

It may also be about helping people understand the intelligent systems that increasingly shape the online world.