The Albanese government must make digital inclusion a “key opportunity and enabling foundation” through accountability at a ministerial level and other initiatives, a new report has recommended.
The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA), a shared initiative backed by over 500 not-for-profits, businesses, academic and community organisations, and government agencies, released a new position paper this week, titled “A national approach to digital inclusion”.
The paper flags digital exclusion as a major issue facing Australia and calls for a more cohesive approach to delivering positive outcomes, led by the federal government.
Its recommendations to improve digital inclusion include cross-portfolio ministerial responsibility for the issue, a national goal and action plan and the establishment of national benchmarks for digital literacy.
The digitally excluded
According to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, just under a quarter of Australians are “excluded” or “highly excluded” digitally – measured in terms of access, affordability and skills – equating to about 6.6 million people.
This divide is starker when it comes to capital cities and regional areas, and First Nations and non-First Nations Australians.
Out of a total digital inclusion score of 100, the national average for First Nations people was 65.9 in 2023, compared to an overall average of 73.4.
The report found that there is a risk this divide will grow even worse with the rapid incorporation of technologies such as AI in everyday life and across the workplace.
Addressing this divide must be a national priority, ADIA chair David Spriggs said.
“The Albanese government rightly recognises digital and AI capability as huge opportunities for the nation and it is imperative that it also recognise and take responsibility for digital inclusion as a crucial foundation for that agenda,” Spriggs said.
“Digital inclusion is a multifaceted challenge and interfaces across all areas of social and economic disadvantage.
“But approaching the problem in the same fragmented way won’t be enough.
‘It’s time for a national approach, with government leadership in coordinated collaboration with those working to address digital inclusion.”
Bringing everyone on the digital journey
Australian Computer Society (ACS) CEO Josh Griggs said the rapid growth of emerging technologies demonstrates how important it is to address digital inclusion now.
“While Australia has a huge opportunity to expand its digital skills base and access the productivity benefits enabled by digital technologies, it is also imperative to consider the foundational skills people need just to participate in modern life, education and work,” Griggs said.
“As AI rapidly emerges, it is vital to ensure people have the ability and confidence to fully engage in the opportunity, while empowering more people with the most basic digital skills can have the positive effect of increasing workforce diversity as they progress to higher levels of capability.
“Digital ability must be front and centre of efforts to create an equitable digital society and strong digital economy.”
The report calls on the government to better coordinate its efforts across portfolios including Communications, Finance, Government Services, Industry and Social Services.
“Government should seek to create opportunities to embed digital inclusion in all areas of policy from education to infrastructure, from community and social services to everyday civic and societal participation,” the paper said.
The government in mid-2023 launched a First Nations Digital Inclusion Plan after two years of consultation, with an aim to reach the Closing the Gap target of equal levels of digital inclusion for First Nations people by 2026.
