27 June 2022 | MIT Media Lab | Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
Dear Madam/Sir,
You are cordially invited to the Symposium “A New Foundation for the Global Digital Economy” to be held on 27 June 2022 at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Symposium convenes leaders from government, private sector, civil society, and academia to discuss how societies can build new foundations for the global digital economy.
Countries around the world are grappling with multiple, concurrent crises: a global pandemic that has battered health systems and economies; lower economic growth trajectories; supply chain dislocations; increasing technological and political complexity; and a trend of rising nationalism, diminished global institutions, and reduced international cooperation. At the same time, many economies are undergoing profound transformation fueled by innovative digital technologies and data systems, ecosystems, and business models.
The challenges and opportunities in the digital economy are international in nature. We believe the moment calls for stronger dialogue among policymakers, technologists, and economists from the public and private sector, civil society, and academia to accelerate investments in global digital public infrastructure, promote the secure exchange of information across networks, and articulate a new economic paradigm. The event features moderated discussions covering four themes of reinvention:
- Growth Strategies in the Digital Economy. Develop a vision for the role of government and other stakeholders in the digital economy and actions that are needed to increase societal prosperity.
- Investing in Foundational Digital Public Infrastructure. Discuss the underlying technologies that can underpin transformation journeys – such as innovative taxation and trade systems, digital currencies, and digital identity – to improve how services are delivered to their citizens and enable the creation of new markets, technology platforms, and ecosystems in which private-sector firms and other stakeholders can collaborate for additional societal value.
- Disruptive Technologies to Accelerate Growth. Debate the role that advanced technologies – such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum computing, Internet of Things, and Web 3.0 / Metaverse – should play in digital transformation. Analyze opportunities and risks, and how these innovations can impact critical infrastructure, transform industries, and redefine the way in which governments interact with their citizens.
- Governance of Multistakeholder Systems. Propose new frameworks to oversee the development and operation of digital systems that are used across borders and stakeholder groups, to guide technology design and implementation, and facilitate collaboration that is transparent, equitable, and responsible.
This Symposium will be held in-person June 27th at the MIT Media Lab. Attendees may arrive June 26th for pre-event networking and informal introductory comments. A detailed agenda will be sent to confirmed attendees. In addition, confirmed participants are invited to attend a Web 3.0 event taking place on June 30th, also at MIT.
This event is hosted by the Prosperity Collaborative, a multistakeholder collaboration including the World Bank, MIT, Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation, and EY. We came together in recognition of the power of diverse stakeholder groups to improve public finance and societies in general through new digital technologies. We believe these technologies should be open, transparent, and inclusive, and if responsibly developed and implemented at scale can lead to increased prosperity and wellbeing for societies and all their citizens.
The topics discussed also reinforce the work of the Boston Global Forum Artificial Intelligence World Society Network (AIWS) Government for Ukraine and City for Ukraine, as parts of the Rebuilding Ukraine Program, including pilot projects.
We look forward to seeing you at the Symposium.
To promote free discussion, the Chatham House rule will be observed.
If you would like to join the event, please send an email to [email protected]
