One third of humanity nonetheless offline — International Points

Doreen Bogdan-Martin underscored ITU’s wide-ranging brief, emphasizing its pivotal position in fostering connectivity throughout the globe.

Based in 1865 as a world telegraph affiliation, as we speak ITU champions two paramount objectives: common connectivity and sustainable digital transformation.

The primary lady within the submit, Secretary-Normal Bogdan-Martin highlighted the stark digital divide impacting ladies and marginalized communities. Girls nonetheless account for a disproportionate share of these offline, outnumbering males by some 20 per cent.

Girls dropping out

In Least Developed Nations, solely 30 per cent of girls have entry to the web, she added.

“I’ve seen ladies who can’t afford a smartphone, ladies in international locations the place entry-level handsets can exceed 70 per cent of the typical family’s month-to-month revenue,” she mentioned reflecting on the time spent in workplace, on the eve of the International Women’s Day.

Talking about generative synthetic intelligence (AI) – an space the place ITU holds a number one position among the many UN-family businesses – the Secretary-Normal careworn there are clear professionals and cons.

Citing AI’s potential to mitigate greenhouse gasoline emissions by 10 per cent and advance progress throughout the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, she cautioned towards the menace AI poses, together with cyberattacks and erosion of belief attributable to dis and misinformation.

A number of threats

“Rising applied sciences, like AI, can be utilized to erode belief in our elections, in our establishments, and it might threaten our jobs, our privateness, and I feel additionally our very future,” she mentioned including that greater than 2200 cyberattacks occur every day. An ITU examine signifies, that assaults are growing by some 80 per cent yr on yr.

Amidst the challenges, Ms. Bogdan-Martin exuded optimism, citing latest commitments by the private sector and multilateral institutions totalling$46 billion in direction of accessible community connectivity, sure to achieve the aim of $100 billion in general investments by 2026.

Furthermore, in sure areas some constructive tendencies are noticed. A recent ITU report exhibits that Web use on the earth’s 57 small island growing states and territories – or SIDS – has outpaced the world common of 6.7 per cent over the previous decade, growing by 8.4 per cent yearly between 2014 and 2023.

Correct investments, coupled with initiatives and selections made at ITU’s venues such because the AI for Good Global Summit and the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly will help bridge the digital divide, the company chief mentioned.