Digital Society

The digital transformation of UK society has generated a complex new world of opportunity and risk, with far-reaching implications for social structures, institutions, and individual agency. On one hand, technological innovation—particularly in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data analytics, and digital communications—offers opportunities to enhance service delivery, democratic engagement, and economic productivity. E-government platforms, digital town halls, online organizing tools, educational resources, and telehealth can reduce barriers to access and foster inclusion, especially for geographically or socially marginalised groups.

The digital economy is serving as an important a driver of new employment options and industrial innovation and renewal, particularly in urban centres. However, such developments also introduce significant threats to citizen security, privacy and equitable treatment. Instances of targeted cyberattacks, data breaches, and use of ransomware in the private and public sector are becoming more frequent. The growing reliance on AI and data-driven systems in public and commercial service provision risks entrenching existing inequalities, if not designed with transparency and accountability. Predictive policing, algorithmic welfare assessments and micro-targeted political messages may have a disproportionate and negative impact on disadvantaged communities. The spread of harmful content and misinformation on social media platforms can amplify extremist ideologies, polarise public opinion and undermine citizens faith in democratic processes.

Among young people, digital dependency is linked with a growing mental health crisis. These trends all underscore the need for improved mechanisms of platform governance and regulation as well as means to address deeper structural inequalities in digital access, literacy, and capital. How can we harness the potential of digital transformation while safeguarding society from its most serious risks?

This theme draws together a wide range of disciplinary expertise within and beyond the social sciences, to address this core question. In doing so we combine a powerful expose and critique of contemporary digital society with a mission to help develop and design a more secure, equitable and resilient digital society of the future.