Digital public infrastructure is key to enabling a connected future. Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
This article is part of:Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
- Technologies such as artificial intelligence, extended reality tech and quantum computing are rapidly transforming how we live and work.
- Digital public infrastructure is key to enabling a connected future for everyone, but it needs to be accessible, safe, scalable and trustworthy.
- The World Economic Forum’s Connected Future Initiative is spearheading efforts to shape the next generation of DPI by driving global collaboration.
The technology landscape is transforming in real time, spurred on by advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR) tech and quantum computing.
This rapid technological evolution is moving us towards a future where supercharged AI capabilities make one-person enterprise readily achievable; XR brings digital tools into our physical world and quantum computing models drive paradigm shifts for drug discovery and optimization.
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Yet, for many, the promises of this future remain out of reach. For many others, the risks and harms related to such technology make a more digital future undesirable, even if achievable. For this future to work, it needs to be accessible, safe, scalable and trustworthy. Digital public infrastructure (DPI) offers a means to achieve these goals.
Digital public infrastructure key to a connected future
DPI refers to the essential digital systems and platforms that enable individuals, businesses and communities to participate in the digital economy and society. These systems function as core frameworks to facilitate reliable, safe equitable access to digital goods and services, and empower stakeholders to build value through scaled digital capacities.
Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is built on physical infrastructure, like data centres and communications networks, and includes foundational elements like digital ID protocols and data exchange platforms, and extends up to digital interfaces engaged with directly by users.
Platforms such as India’s Aadhaar – a biometric digital ID system that enables more than 1.4 billion users to access banking, government benefit programmes and other digital goods – and the Open Health Stack – an open-source framework resource to aid in developing interoperable health systems – are examples of the power of robust DPI development.
Imagine a future in which open-source AI models powered by trusted, ethically-sourced data sets are available to empower users to develop the tools they need to see their creativity and entrepreneurship flourish, or where users engage with new cultures and experiences thanks to accessibility improvements bringing online many of the 2.6 billion people not currently connected. A future-focused DPI agenda can help such tools and experiences become realities.
Private sector can help drive the development of DPI
Though public- and nonprofit-driven DPI efforts, such as Estonia’s X-Road and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) DPI Approach playbook, have driven invaluable progress, the private sector also has a major role to play as both a driver and beneficiary of digital public infrastructure.
Private sector innovation has been the first mover for widely adopted digital identity systems, payment platforms and data exchange protocols because they make products, services and the end user digital experience better.
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Platform and service providers also have an aligned incentive with users in building trustworthy products and services and having the widest net for consumers to safely and reliably access those goods. In fact, DPI technologies that are specifically deployed to serve a public sector demand – often referred to as govtech – represent only a fraction of the larger DPI landscape.
According to the McKinsey Global Institute’s Digital Identification report, scaling digital ID – one pillar of DPI – can drive gross domestic product (GDP) growth by 1-13%, translating to an estimated $5 trillion in economic gains worldwide.
Broadly speaking, digital public infrastructure is beneficial, and there are myriad incentives across regions and sectors to develop DPI well. But what are the obstacles and why does this moment represent a uniquely important opportunity to drive alignment on DPI development?
DPI is not ready for frontier technologies
Emerging technologies such as AI, XR and quantum computing are reshaping industries and governance at an unprecedented pace. AI-powered automation is redefining productivity, XR is transforming digital interaction and quantum computing holds the promise of revolutionizing problem-solving capabilities.
Yet, existing components of digital public infrastructure were not designed with these technologies in mind. The absence of alignment between DPI and these frontier innovations creates inefficiencies, bottlenecks and potential risks, related to security, accessibility and interoperability.
To fully realize the promise of next-generation technologies, digital public infrastructure must be equipped to accommodate their integration seamlessly. This means:
- Developing AI-compatible DPI frameworks that ensure ethical, transparent and equitable AI deployment in public services.
- Enabling XR-enhanced digital interfaces for more immersive and interactive citizen engagement.
- Preparing data infrastructure for quantum computing advancements that will require new security and processing paradigms.
Without an intentional, future-oriented approach to DPI, societies risk falling behind in the digital transformation race, exacerbating existing inequalities and inefficiencies.
Why a global collaborative approach to DPI is needed
A resilient, future-ready digital public infrastructure ecosystem cannot be achieved in silos. It requires multistakeholder collaboration between governments, private industry, civil society and technology innovators.
Public-private partnerships will be essential in ensuring that DPI can support and accelerate the adoption of frontier technologies while maintaining the principles of openness, inclusivity and security.
The World Economic Forum’s Connected Future Initiative is spearheading efforts to shape the next generation of digital public infrastructure by driving global collaboration on key development needs, including:
- Technical evolution of DPI: Identifying key upgrades to the DPI tech stack to support AI, XR and quantum computing.
- Global standards and interoperability: Promoting internationally recognized standards to ensure consistency and security in DPI integration.
- Public-private collaboration: Engaging governments, tech leaders and civil society in joint initiatives to build sustainable, inclusive DPI frameworks.
- Ethical and responsible innovation: Addressing governance challenges, data privacy concerns, and equitable access in the deployment of next-gen DPI.
- Scalability and accessibility: Ensuring DPI advancements reach underserved communities and emerging markets to maximize societal benefits.
Digital public infrastructure has helped drive and sustain many of today’s most impactful digital capabilities.
As the landscape of the future takes shape, it is incumbent on stakeholders from across sectors and around the world to define, elevate and drive a broadly beneficial digital future.
Frontier-focused DPI development represents a critical path forward in this mission, and we are excited for the Connected Future Initiative to begin that work.
