Issue An enhancement divide layered on the digital divide

Summary

This issue warns that human enhancement technologies could create a new form of inequality. EY expects advanced augmentation to be available at first mainly to wealthy individuals and organizations, splitting people into enhanced and unenhanced groups. The current digital divide already leaves 2.6b people offline, and only 27% of people in the least developed countries have internet access. EY fears this gap could turn into an enhancement divide that deepens global inequality. Whether augmentation narrows or widens the gap will depend on the trust frameworks organizations put in place. EY suggests the outcome may even test whether capitalism itself rebalances, and says organizations must consider their role in spreading the benefits broadly.