Scuba diving doesn’t just require access to the right equipment. Anyone who wants to explore a coral reef needs training: knowledge of how the gear works, how to breathe underwater, how to surface safely. We would never drive untrained people out to open water, hand them tanks and fins, and expect them to dive without proper preparation. Yet when it comes to the internet and closing the digital divide, we’ve adopted a national strategy built on a similar assumption: that access alone is enough. 

For years, the national conversation has focused on one foundational goal: increasing access. The US has poured billions of dollars into programs like the Broadband Equity Access Deployment (BEAD) Program, a $42.45 billion federal grant initiative funding state projects to expand broadband access in unserved and underserved communities through fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies. However, the effort has been defined by changing policy priorities—from prescriptive mandates criticized by figures like FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to disruptive 2025 reforms that invalidated state plans and created a new wave of delays. As a result, many communities are still unconnected or under-connected. But the deeper story isn’t just about extending broadband lines; without widespread digital literacy, even universal connectivity can’t close the digital divide or unlock the economic opportunities that high-speed broadband access promises, particularly in a job market that’s now being reshaped by AI. More than half of hiring managers say they would not hire someone without AI proficiency, and demand for these skills has increased “more than sixfold.”

With the rise of AI, the digital skills gap has widened into a chasm—one that acts as an engine for amplifying old biases into harsher forms of structural inequity. This isn’t an entirely new problem; it’s the acceleration of existing discrimination, now automated at a scale previously unimaginable. This is especially dangerous as AI is integrated into society’s most essential services. In hiring, for example, the rapid proliferation of AI-powered resume screeners now used by 83% of employers means more candidates are being filtered out by algorithms trained to prioritize keywords over accurate experience. And while a dedicated applicant could manually tailor their resumes to incorporate the keywords preferred by AI screeners, they face a major disadvantage in time and effort spent compared to those using AI tools to handle the laborious optimization process. 

This pattern of inequity amplification repeats itself in many spaces, including banking, where the shift to a digital-first model creates dual barriers to access. Banking has become both more physically inaccessible as banks remove tellers, and more discriminatory as AI-driven systems, trained on historically biased data, are used to deny credit and loan opportunities to already marginalized communities. As Senior Fellow Stephanie Weiner argues in her recent analysis, “Bridging the Digital Divide as We Build the Digital Future,” we cannot build frameworks for AI governance while leaving millions without the ability to participate in that future.

Addressing this growing gap requires moving beyond a technology-first mindset. True digital equity requires a human-centered approach that meets people where they are. The solution isn’t just more technology; it’s ensuring everyone can acquire the skills to use that technology to its fullest potential. It’s about building a person-first support structure for our digital world. What does building this structure look like? It starts with key strategies such as:

• Human Guides: The Digital Navigator model, developed by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, provides a human voice to guide people through the process.
• Trusted Spaces: In-person workshops at community hubs such as local libraries create accessible environments for live active learning.
• Equity-Centered Programs: True equity means collaborating with communities to create responsive solutions that empower people’s digital sovereignty to control their digital futures on their own terms. 

Ultimately, our goal in closing the digital divide shouldn’t be just inviting people to jump into the water. It’s about teaching them how to breathe once they’re there and ensuring everyone is equipped with the skills to not just exist in the digital ocean, but to explore it with confidence.

What does building a better, more human-centered digital future mean to you?

By: Bill Cheng(This link opens in a new tab)