Issue Technology both supporting and displacing vulnerable groups

Summary

Among the longer-term uncertainties for vulnerable people, the report sees technology as a double-edged force. Technology could help vulnerable groups by easing economic and health difficulties. Artificial intelligence, for example, could offer children personalised tutoring and provide good-quality health advice. The report warns, however, that the same technology might take work away from lower-income families. It also stresses that people from lower-income backgrounds often find it hard to invest in education and that regional gaps, with urban and rural communities facing different barriers to healthcare, education and work, add to the burden on vulnerable groups. It further observes that people who experienced adverse childhood events are less likely to enter higher education, which narrows their later job opportunities.