HARNESSING AI FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS IN EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE
Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi is the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg. He recently published an opinion article that first appeared in the Mail & Guardian on 9 January 2026. In the Tragedy of King Lear, through the character Gloucester, William Shakespeare wrote: “So distribution should undo excess and each man have enough.” Written over four centuries ago, these words resonate with haunting clarity today. Inequality has long been a marker for humankind. It has been a persistent shadow across eras and epochs. While we often think of our journey through innovation, this has not necessarily been to the benefit of all. We have inevitably marched forward but we have not sufficiently allowed all of humanity to enjoy the formidable markers of our journey. In the digital age, inequality takes a different bend. The digital divide denotes a gap in access, but it is actually far more insidious than mere connectivity.
Beyond access to technologies, it encompasses divisions in access to skills, digital literacy and opportunity. The World Economic Forum (WEF) asserts that there are three divides: the AI revolution risks deepening global inequality by widening the gaps among companies, workers and countries. These divides create a chasm between communities that can shape their digital futures and those for whom technology remains an impenetrable barrier. The impact is astounding. AI deepens many of our existing divisions, from amplifying biases to concentrating power and even threatening to leave entire populations behind. Yet, as artificial intelligence (AI) deepens many of our divisions, we must look to its promise as a solution through the lens of societal impact. This broad digital shift unfolding before us calls us to empower humanity. This may seem at odds with many narratives around AI. We are surrounded by headlines proclaiming superintelligence, by dystopian
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