King Charles III's charity, The King's Trust, has lifted the lid on a major new frontline in global inequality as artificial intelligence (AI) is due to take the world by storm. The Future of Work report, published this month by The King's Trust, suggests the coming AI boom could level the playing field but warns "without equitable access, the digital revolution risks entrenching or even exacerbating already existing global inequalities." President Donald Trump is preparing to invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure in a move he hopes will create 100,000 American jobs.
Yet at the same, there are some around the world who still struggle to access devices like laptops and computers almost 50 years after Queen Elizabeth II sent her first email in 1976. "The world is in the midst of a workplace digital revolution," the trust's 2025 Future of Work Report reads. "Digital jobs are widespread; digital skills are increasingly essential.
Even in low-income countries, many jobs require basic use of a computer or smartphone. Increasing numbers of jobs require the use of basic programmes such as email and spreadsheets. In the future, many more jobs will require ever higher levels of digital skills and digital literacy.
" It continued: "Yet, young people face several barriers to acquiring these skills: education systems often fall short, technology is rapidly changing so skills become obsolete, access to devices and data is not always available due to income constraints, and women face add.
