Welcome the semester’s first edition of CEDIC Talks.
The Research Centre for Digitalisation of Public Services and Citizenship (CEDIC) is the host institution for the research school DIGIT. It has a monthly lecture series called CEDIC Talks, where they aim to broaden our knowledge and awareness about ongoing research in Europe about digitalization processes and their social consequences.
The lectures are open, and both DIGIT members and others are welcome to participate.
New risks of poverty and social exclusion in Europe
In this edition of the lecture series, we join three Horizon2020 projects – EUROSHIP, EuSocialCit and WorkYP - when they give short, policy-oriented presentations of their findings on how digitalization of the labour market and public services affects EU citizens- opportunities to participate in in all realms of public and societal life and live a decent life in accordance with the prevailing standards in society.
Advances in digital technology and artificial Intelligence have sparked concerns about new risks of poverty and social exclusion in Europe. Since 2000, technology change has given rise to new forms of work and employment relations in Europe. The emergence of the platform economy means that customers are able to access providers of goods and services online. It is work based on the performance of individual tasks or projects rather than a lasting employment relationship. While it allows for flexible working hours it also comes with a risk of inconvenient and unpredictable working hours and low incomes. Alongside the growth of employment mediated through digital platforms there has been an expansion of digitalisation of welfare service provisions across Europe. More welfare state services provisions are restructured around digital communication and media infrastructures. Online technologies can enable a more inclusive delivery of public resources even in remote and rural areas. Digitalization, however, comes with a wide range of challenges. These range from the opacity of digital decision-making to digital divides that the utilization of ever more sophisticated technologies may cause between different groups in the population. While Covid-19 has been both a driver and barometer of success in the roll-out of digital welfare services, for those without the skills needed to access this shift online, or lacking the hardware or software to connect, the digital divide amplifies existing inequalities.
This seminar is aimed to consider the terms of such debate and delineate a way forward at both EU and national level.