Human Capital Empowerment: The Importance of Trust, Data Safeguards, and Protection of Vulnerable Groups
Sajitha Bashir, Carl J. Dahlman, Naoto Kanehira, Klaus Tilmes · 2021
Discusses three issues related to the governance of converging technologies central to the inclusion and empowerment agenda for human capital: (1) trust in technology use; (2) data governance; and (3) governance of converging and dual-use technologies. Trust underlies the effective deployment of all technologies, but the role of trust has become amplified in the context of converging technologies. Power asymmetries, the opacity of technology value chains, and the spread of digital misinformation and targeting of vulnerable groups dominate global discourse. The role of data governance proves especially important because the possibility of using and combining data from different sources lies at the heart of converging technologies. Specifically, the linking of sensitive health, education, and social protection data with digital identification can work to advance surveillance and profiling of vulnerable populations and individuals. Protections for the collection, storage, and use of data, especially of children, women, and marginalized communities, remain an important component of agency and empowerment.