WEF launches new DPI initiative focused on emerging tech, including biometrics

Global Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiatives are lagging behind emerging technologies such as AI, which could lead to inefficiencies, bottlenecks and potential risks, according to the World Economic Forum (WEP). This is why the organization has launched a new project called Connected Future Initiative.

According to the initiative’s Lead Dylan Reim, the focus of the Connected Future Initiative is to boost public-private collaboration to ensure technologies like AI, extended reality (XR), quantum computing and biometrics can integrate within digital public infrastructure frameworks.

The initiative is part of WEP’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution which gathers more than 200 organizations, including the likes of Amazon, Google, Dell, Microsoft, Hitachi, Palo Alto Networks, Mitre and identity verification company Unico.

It plans to spearhead the technical evolution of DPI, including upgrades to the DPI tech stack that would support emerging technology. This includes promoting international standards, boosting public-private partnerships and addressing ethics, data privacy and accessibility to underserved markets.

“Without an intentional, future-oriented approach to DPI, societies risk falling behind in the digital transformation race, exacerbating existing inequalities and inefficiencies,” Reim wrote in an article published last week with Judith Vega, the WEF Metaverse Initiative specialist.

At the WEF annual meeting in Davos in January, organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) called for boosting standardization efforts for digital public infrastructure, including globally interoperable digital wallets.

Brazil and Caribbeans move forward with GovTech

The World Economic Forum estimates that GovTech could deliver nearly US$10 trillion in public value by 2034. The organization has recently published articles on how the GovTech initiative is progressing in Brazil and the Caribbean.

Brazil, in particular, has made substantial progress, according to Gustavo Maia founder and CEO of GovTech company Colab. The country has introduced a federal gov.br portal to centralize access to services and digital IDs for over 150 million citizens. Previously, it also introduced electronic voting and digital tax declarations.

“Just like roads and electricity, digital systems that enable service delivery, such as digital ID, payments and data layers, should be treated as long-term public goods,” says Maia.

In the Caribbean region, governments tackle the challenge of youth unemployment with digitalization efforts such as the Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP), designed to expand broadband networks, and the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project (CARDTP) which brings interactive digital tools to schools.

The CARDTP project continues to digitize education and government services, enable secure payments and improve citizen-centric platforms while strengthening legislation for cybersecurity, digital identity and fintech, WEF explains in its brief.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Connected Future Initiative  |  digital government  |  digital identity  |  digital inclusion  |  digital public infrastructure  |  public-private partnerships  |  World Economic Forum