Digital transformation affects people, firms, and governments, across countries and sectors. The development, deployment and uptake of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, create immense opportunities for productivity, scientific discovery and climate change mitigation, public service delivery, new business models, and remote work, education and healthcare. At the same time, and to reap the benefits of these developments, countries must address their risks, including to privacy, security, online safety, digital divides, information integrity and social cohesion, and human rights in the digital age.

The fast pace and cross-sectoral nature of digital transformation require a forward-looking whole-of-government approach, that cuts across traditional policy silos. The OECD’s Going Digital Integrated Policy Framework supports countries in developing co-ordinated and holistic digital policies, across the policy dimensions of digital transformation – including access, use, innovation, jobs, society, trust, and market openness. It is complemented by the Going Digital Toolkit that offers interactive cross-country comparisons along each of these dimensions, to track and assess countries’ state of digital development and formulate policy responses.  

Getting the foundations right is essential for a trusted, sustainable and inclusive digital future, and requires policy attention to respond to the key following areas:

• Connectivity and infrastructure: how to provide accessible, affordable high-quality connectivity for all, as the basis to benefit from digital transformation? How to enhance the resilience of value chains of digital technologies?
• Data and data flows: with data, and especially cross-border data flows, being a key driver of economic and social activity in the digital age, how to enhance access and use of data while mitigating risks to privacy and other protected interests, and minimising policy fragmentation?
• AI and emerging technologies: as AI diffuses across sectors and promises to disrupt labour markets and education systems, revolutionise healthcare and science, and improve predictions and decision-making, how can we harness its benefits while promoting safety, security, robustness, transparency and accountability of AI systems? And with ongoing developments in quantum technologies, immersive technologies and other emerging technologies – what will be the new AI?
• Safety and security: how to better manage the digital security of products, services and infrastructure, which are increasingly interconnected and have become more vulnerable to cyberattacks? Similarly, as more individuals spend more time and conduct more activities online, how can pernicious phenomena, from cyberbullying to illegal and harmful content and false and manipulated content, which affect individuals’ mental health and social cohesion, be mitigated?
• Measurement: how to build a robust, comprehensive and comparable evidence base to inform digital policy making? In implementing its Going Digital Measurement Roadmap, the OECD provides a range of metrics, indicators and visualisations – including on countries’ digital performance, on AI policies and trends, and on broadband connectivity.

While laws, policies and regulations are largely developed and applied at the domestic or regional level, the development, use and impact of digital technologies and data transcend national borders. This means that countries and stakeholders must collaborate to facilitate technology and policy interoperability and avoid policy fragmentation.  

The OECD provides an inclusive venue for broad, multistakeholder, and informed policy co-ordination – both at senior political level and at expert level, and in areas spanning artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, semiconductors, or DFFT – to guide digital policy making.