The Digitage Divide: The Myth of Digital Inclusion

The future must not be one where elderly people are forced to learn technology to survive. It must be one where technology adapts to serve them.

by Florence Kim

Visual concept by Florence Kim and generated by Midjourney

Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the key figures behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), believed that life was meant to be lived at every age. She refused to be sidelined, insisting that old age should not mean retreating from society. Yet despite her leadership in shaping the UDHR, the document makes no explicit mention of age-based discrimination.

While it prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, language and other factors, it remains silent on age, a striking omission given its profound impact on human rights law.

This absence has left a vacuum in human rights protections where ageism persists as one of the most overlooked and pervasive forms of discrimination. As society moves into an era of AI-driven digital transformation, this gap has become even more damaging. AI and digital technologies increasingly define how we communicate, access services and exercise our rights. Yet elderly people, one of the most vulnerable demographics, are being systematically excluded. This is what I call the digitage divide.

The Myth of Digital Inclusion

When we talk about the digital divide, we tend to focus on economic or geographic disparities. We picture children without laptops, rural communities struggling with weak internet access. But digital exclusion is not just about infrastructure. It is about literacy, accessibility and the fundamental right to human interaction. And in this, elderly people are often the first casualties.

It is easy to assume the solution is education—teach older adults how to use smartphones, set up emails, navigate digital bureaucracy. But this assumption is flawed. Learning to use a device does not equate to digital inclusion. My mother did not want a crash course in smartphone usage. She just wanted to make a phone call. But when she tried, she found herself locked out. She needed an account. An email. A password. A verification code. A second device to retrieve that code.

She was trapped in a system that demanded digital fluency for something as simple as human connection.

AI and the New Face of Ageism

The rise of AI has only deepened this exclusion. Digital interactions are becoming less human and more algorithmic, with AI-driven systems assuming all users are tech-savvy, that all queries can be answered by chatbots, that verifications can be completed via multi-step digital authentication. But what happens to those who cannot or do not want to navigate this increasingly complex digital world?

AI is designed to optimize. It streamlines services, predicts behaviors and personalizes experiences. But it does so for those it understands. And right now, AI does not understand elderly people. Bias in AI is widely acknowledged in terms of race and gender, yet age bias remains largely unexamined. AI models are trained on the behaviors of 'digital natives'—optimized for the young, adaptable and always connected. The result is systems that are not just unintuitive for older users but actively exclusionary.

For example, job-seeking algorithms rank candidates based on digital footprints, putting older workers at a disadvantage. Healthcare AI assumes digital literacy, making it harder for elderly patients to book appointments or access telemedicine. Even online banking and social security systems are increasingly AI-driven, shutting out those unfamiliar with multi-factor authentication.

The Right to Human Interaction

We often talk about AI in terms of efficiency. But at what cost? A society that optimizes for speed and automation risks losing its humanity. Digital transformation should not mean replacing human interaction with algorithms. It should mean using technology to enhance dignity, provide choices and ensure no one is left behind.

This is not just a matter of convenience. It is a matter of rights. The right to access services, to be heard, to fully participate in society. If we continue on our current path, we are creating a future where an entire generation is erased from the digital sphere. The future must not be one where elderly people are forced to learn technology to survive. It must be one where technology adapts to serve them.

Recommendations For an Ethical AI

AI should not be a force of exclusion but a tool for inclusion. To bridge the digitage divide, we must rethink how AI interacts with older populations:

• Human-centered design: AI must prioritize accessibility and simplicity, integrating voice commands, larger interfaces and alternative verification methods that do not require digital fluency.

• Bias mitigation in AI models: Just as we audit algorithms for racial and gender bias, we must audit them for age bias.

• Regulation and standards: Governments, international bodies and the industry must set ethical guidelines ensuring AI-driven services do not marginalize older users.

• The right to human assistance: Digital transformation should not eliminate human support. AI must complement, not replace, human interactions in essential services.

  
  

Eleanor Roosevelt saw old age as a stage of life that still demanded purpose, dignity and engagement. Had she and her colleagues foreseen the rise of AI, perhaps the UDHR would have explicitly protected the rights of older persons. But it is not too late.

AI is shaping the world today and will define the society of tomorrow. If we do not act now, we risk creating a future where elderly people are not just marginalized but erased from the digital world. The fight against digital exclusion is not just about technology. It is about human rights. And it is time we close the gap.

This article is original work by Florence Kim. If you wish to quote or reference it, please attribute accordingly. For direct quotes, please cite '[article title]' by Florence Kim, aidvocacy.org, [consultation date]. For online references, kindly include a link to the original