The evolution of the digital technology ecosystem is driving economic and societal changes, with the information and communication technology (ICT) sector at its core proving dynamic and resilient in the face of economic headwinds. As digital technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and next generation networks permeate our lives and the economy, it is critical to unleash innovation responsibly, ensure that the benefits of these technologies are widely shared, and reduce the risks technological advances can pose to well-being and society.

New estimates find that the information and communication technology (ICT) sectors of OECD countries have significantly outperformed the growth of the broader economy over the past decade. The ICT sector grew about three times faster than the total economy across OECD countries between 2013-23, with an average growth rate of 7.6% in 2023.

The future of AI may yield tremendous benefits, including enhanced productivity gains, accelerated scientific progress, and solutions to help address climate change. However, AI advances also raise risks, including those related to trust, fairness, privacy and safety. Building a shared understanding of the key opportunities and risks will be critical to ensure AI is trustworthy and used to benefit humanity and the planet.

While technologies such as cloud computing and 5G have diffused widely, adoption of data-dependent technologies like AI remains low and concentrated in certain sectors and among larger firms, suggesting that there is much scope for AI and its productivity-enhancing benefits to expand into the broader economy. In the future, the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial wireless technologies will expand the connectivity ecosystem and make it more resilient.

Body tracking facilitates “presence” and sets virtual reality apart from other immersive environments, but the data it generates raise privacy risks. Just 20 minutes in VR generates almost 2 million unique data points of body language. Safety in VR must also be carefully considered, especially for children and in moving vehicles.

Since 2017, the share of young people reporting difficulties in everyday functioning and feeling unhappy because of social media use increased by 49%, with the share of girls increasing more than twice as much as boys. Cyberbullying is also becoming more common among young people, with girls experiencing higher rates than boys on average.