Digital technologies can be transformative for economic and social development – providing new tools and unlocking new approaches to end poverty and create a more livable planet. The evidence is clear - when fast internet becomes available, employment increases, poverty goes down and opportunities abound. As innovative uses of data and artificial intelligence race ahead, the possibilities for progress are growing exponentially. At the same time, progress for some is equating to a digital divide for others and digitization is creating new risks to privacy and security. These challenges need to be tackled to maximize the benefits of digitalization for all while minimizing the risks.
The World Bank Group is launching its inaugural Global Digital Summit to bring together government officials, private sector, partner organizations and thought leaders to explore these opportunities and risks, around the shared goal of Accelerating Digital for Development. The Summit will showcase cutting-edge thinking, technology, and practical insights on a wide range of digital topics, with a focus on three pillars of how digitalization can (1) Connect, (2) Innovate, and (3) Transform.
Discussions will include:
- Connect: Shaping a Decade of Digital Inclusion: Access, Affordability, and Internet for All
- Innovate: Doing Digital Faster, Smarter and Safer
- Transform: A World Transformed: Key Scenarios for Our Digital Future
The summit will also include an exhibit of transformative technologies that are changing the realities of development around the world.
Breakout sessions will delve into topics ranging from artificial intelligence to skills, data governance, cloud, digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity and more.
The Summit will feature high-level participants including ministers, private sector leaders and thought leaders across diverse sectors. Confirmed speakers include:
- Ajay Banga, President, World Bank Group
- Afua Bruce, Engineer and Author of The Tech That Comes Next
- Vint Cerf, VP & Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
- Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary General, ITU
- Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Fast Company
- Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft
- Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO, Verizon
Registration for the Summit is by invitation only.
