53% of Americans Say the Internet Has Been Essential During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Americans with lower incomes are particularly likely to have concerns related to the digital divide and the digital “homework gap.”
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Americans with lower incomes are particularly likely to have concerns related to the digital divide and the digital “homework gap.”
Experts say the rise of artificial intelligence will make most people better off over the next decade, but many have concerns about how advances in AI will affect what it means to be human, to be productive and to exercise free will.
Lee Rainie gave the Holmes Distinguished Lecture at Colorado State University on April 13, 2018, where he discussed the research the Center conducted with Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center about the future of the internet.
Lee Rainie, Director of Internet and Technology research, spoke about the skills requirements for jobs in the future at the International Telecommunications Union’s “capacity building symposium” for digital technologies.
Many experts say digital life will continue to expand people’s boundaries and opportunities. Yet nearly a third think that people’s overall well-being will be more harmed than helped in coming years.
While many technology experts and scholars have concerns about the social, political and economic fallout from the spread of digital activities, they also tend to report that their own experience of digital life has been positive.
Experts are split on whether the coming years will see less misinformation online. Those who foresee improvement hope for technological and societal solutions. Others say bad actors using technology can exploit human vulnerabilities.
Lee Rainie, director of internet and technology research at Pew Research Center, presented these findings at the International Monetary Fund/World Bank’s Youth Dialogue and its program, “A World Without Work?” The findings tie to several pieces of research at the Center, including reports on the state of American jobs, automation in everyday life, and the future of jobs training programs.
The trends in Americans’ views of social media tell a complex story. Read about the dynamics of Americans’ feelings toward social media.
As robots, automation and artificial intelligence perform more tasks and there is massive disruption of jobs, experts say a wider array of education and skills-building programs will be created to meet new demands.
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