ABSTRACT
The exponential expansion of information and communication technology, based on ongoing technological innovations, the rise of artificial intelligence, smart robots and numerous other digital tools only recently seen as part of science fiction, has become a fact of life. The consequences of that paramount change in all spheres of life, including our economies, are enormous, and there is a growing understanding that it is most important to explore these consequences further, prevent potential abuses and reap the benefits for societies and individuals in the best way possible. From the perspective of the international council on social welfare – an international non-governmental organisation striving to be at the forefront of conceptual thinking, advocacy and social practice on matters of social well-being at the global and local levels – it would be hardly possible to improve social inclusion in the contemporary world if digital inclusion is overlooked. Both traditional social interaction spaces and the possible next stages of internet development.
