It’s also tempting to think of digital in purely technical terms. That you need to be good at coding or programming certain scripts. However, there’s a whole other set of skills that people need now which are arguably even more important. Things like critical thinking. If we’re in a world where AI is generating content, you have to be able to distinguish the truth from what we call “hallucination”. Artificial Intelligence can convince itself of things or succumb to biases and then it ends up spreading misinformation. We need to be vigilant for that. Imagine a world where AI is making decisions that affect everyone’s immigration status, passport checks or benefits. We need to know how to use these technologies fairly and ethically. That’s a really important skill that I think we need to equip people with in the future. It’s also tempting to think of digital in purely technical terms. That you need to be good at coding or programming certain scripts. However, there’s a whole other set of skills that people need now which are arguably even more important. Things like critical thinking. If we’re in a world where AI is generating content, you have to be able to distinguish the truth from what we call “hallucination”. Artificial Intelligence can convince itself of things or succumb to biases and then it ends up spreading misinformation. We need to be vigilant for that. Imagine a world where AI is making decisions that affect everyone’s immigration status, passport checks or benefits. We need to know how to use these technologies fairly and ethically. That’s a really important skill that I think we need to equip people with in the future. of investment, like Silicon Valley for instance. You’re going to have a completely different experience to someone who is living in South Yorkshire. Not everyone has access to the same opportunities but we are all exposed to the same risks. Yetunde: I agree. What I’d also like to add is that there are an overwhelming amount of skills that people might need to learn in order to succeed in the modern
Amelia: What I’ve found is that a lot of people are afraid of technology for different reasons as well. Maybe it’s because they don’t think they’re capable of embracing it. Some young people haven’t even had the opportunity — because of hardship in their family or economic circumstances — to have a good level of digital education. So, when they enter the world of work, they’re suddenly confronted with all these things that they’re expected to do but don’t know how; like using excel or sending email attachments. We make the assumption that, because 5 year-olds nowadays can work a smartphone then they must also be adept at using Microsoft Office programmers. But that’s not necessarily the case and we need to think about how we make it less intimidating for them. Because technology should be seen as an enabler, not a thing to be scared of. Amelia: What I’ve found is that a lot of people are afraid of technology for different reasons as well. Maybe it’s because they don’t think they’re capable of embracing it. Some young people haven’t even had the opportunity — because of hardship in their family or economic circumstances — to have a good level of digital education. So, when they enter the world of work, they’re suddenly confronted with all these things that they’re expected to do but don’t know how; like using excel or sending email attachments. We make the assumption that, because 5 year-olds nowadays can work a smartphone then they must also be adept at using Microsoft Office programmers. But that’s not necessarily the case and we need to think about how we make it less intimidating for them. Because technology should be seen as an enabler, not a thing to be scared of.
Network Magazine: So what are the biggest issues to tackle when it comes to digital poverty?
Network Magazine: Does that mean there’s no panacea for it either?
Chris: I’d say it’s very hard to predict which digital skills you’ll actually need in the future, because all of this is evolving so quickly. You could feasibly spend years learning how to use a specific technology, only for it to then become obsolete one day. You don’t want to run the risk of investing too much in a particular niche for that very reason. That’s why, at the UTC, we emphasise what we call “Swiss Army Skills” [whereby you have intermediate knowledge of a broad range of things]. It enables our students to pivot more easily, should the world change around them.
Network Magazine: The word “fair” has cropped up a few times already in this conversation. Is that the ultimate goal; to make things fairer? Is it something that you believe is incumbent upon all businesses? our voice. There is so much noise out there distracting from this issue but it is so important. If we don’t help people with digital access, then we’re not going to have a fair society. Amelia: That’s absolutely right. We need to consider a whole range of factors. It’s one thing to make devices available, but we also need to make sure that people know how to use them and understand the implications of doing so safely. We are not in a world where we can say: “Okay, let’s pick just one thing to fix all of our problems”. That’s why we need a forum, like the one provided by the Chamber here, to amplify Amelia: Absolutely! Businesses are vital to every community. I mean, that’s how we evaluate the success of a country right? By measuring its GDP. It’s a great indicator of how well we are doing. So [by extension] the success of a place like Doncaster is linked to the success of its businesses. Not just in terms of how they boost employment or the economy, but in terms of what they’re doing to better the communities they serve. That’s why we look at things like CSR. We want to encourage organisations to look beyond their profits and think about how well they impact the people around them. It’s so crucial for us to be doing things like this. Yetunde: That’s right. By virtue of being a social enterprise, everything we do at Knowledge Pool is about serving the local population and making things fairer. That being said, I believe that all organisations are, and should be, responsible for improving their communities. Like Amelia said, business should not be driven by profit alone and — whether it is in service of combatting digital poverty or something else entirely — they should give back. I believe that is key.
Network Magazine: So what are the biggest issues to tackle when it comes to digital poverty?
Chris: I’d say it’s very hard to predict which digital skills you’ll actually need in the future, because all of this is evolving so quickly. You could feasibly spend years learning how to use a specific technology, only for it to then become obsolete one day. You don’t want to run the risk of investing too much in a particular niche for that very reason. That’s why, at the UTC, we emphasise what we call “Swiss Army Skills” [whereby you have intermediate knowledge of a broad range of things]. It enables our students to pivot more easily, should the world change around them.
world. Whether it’s knowing how to use a smartphone, create an excel spreadsheet or search for things online safety; there’s not just one problem to solve here.
Network Magazine: And do you think any of these challenges are unique to Doncaster?
Chris: Of course digital poverty is of global relevance, but what I would argue is that it doesn’t impact everywhere equally. Let’s say you live somewhere that is really affluent and has lots
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Digital Poverty
Digital Poverty
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