Who is most at risk of being left behind by AI?
The new AI divide hits hardest along familiar fault lines: age, income, gender, and geography. A 2024 survey of 303 diverse online participants found that women, older adults, people with lower salaries, those with less digital access, and those with lower digital well-being all reported significantly lower digital confidence — a measure of awareness, familiarity, and competence with digital technology [2]. This isn't just about feeling unsure; the study showed that lower digital confidence actually changed how people experienced everyday AI tools, making their attitudes toward AI more negative. In other words, if you already feel excluded from the digital world, AI feels like another barrier, not a benefit.
The intergenerational gap is especially stark. A 2026 study of 50 college students in semi-urban India found that 78% said their parents or guardians cannot use or understand any AI platform [1]. This isn't a trivial disconnect: 70% of those students reported a measurable drop in the quality of family conversation due to AI-mediated screen time, and 62% experienced outright conflict with family members over AI and smartphone use [1]. The divide is tearing at household relationships, not just limiting career opportunities.
This isn't just about who has internet — it's about who controls the technology
The new AI divide goes deeper than the old 'haves and have-nots' of internet access. A 2025 analysis of geospatial AI (GeoAI) argues that the gap is shifting to inequities in data sovereignty, computational power, and the critical literacy needed to navigate AI's complexities [4]. The concern is that those who already hold power — wealthier nations, better-funded institutions, and tech-savvy elites — will dominate the spatial narratives and decisions driven by AI, entrenching their advantage. The paper warns that mitigation requires more than handing out devices; it demands inclusive policy frameworks and deliberate cultivation of AI literacy across all communities [4].
This power imbalance is already visible in how AI systems treat different populations. A 2026 study of health-related ads on Meta and Instagram across all US states found that AI recommendation systems were more likely to show health misinformation to users in states with a high percentage of uninsured people [3]. Meanwhile, wealthier states were less likely to see misleading health ads. The AI wasn't neutral — it amplified existing health disparities, widening the digital divide by directing worse information to already vulnerable populations.
Can the divide be closed — and what would that take?
The research points to a clear, if challenging, path forward: targeted education and inclusive design. In the Indian study, 66% of students said they wanted structured family awareness programs on AI [1], suggesting that communities recognize the problem and are ready for solutions. A 2024 commentary on physiotherapy education explicitly calls for bridging the digital divide by integrating AI into training, noting that knowledge gaps among healthcare students highlight the need for targeted educational strategies [5].
But the evidence also shows that closing the divide requires more than just training. The GeoAI analysis argues that technological fixes alone are insufficient — what's needed is equitable resource distribution and the deliberate cultivation of widespread AI literacy [4]. The health-ad study shows that AI systems themselves need to be audited for bias, because left unchecked, they actively worsen inequality [3]. Across all five studies, the consistent message is that the divide is real, measurable, and growing — but it is not inevitable. It will take coordinated action from governments, educators, tech companies, and families to ensure AI benefits everyone, not just the already privileged.
About These Sources
This answer is built on 5 peer-reviewed studies — published from 2024 to 2026, 5 from 2024 or later, 2 in Q1 journals, collectively cited 64 times — selected as the most relevant from 5 studies that passed quality screening, drawn from 36 papers retrieved from a database of over 500 million.
Sources used in this answer
Artificial Intelligence, Intergenerational Digital Divide
A 2026 survey of 50 college students in semi-urban India found that 78% said their parents cannot use any AI platform, 70% reported reduced family conversation quality due to AI screen time, and 62% experienced family conflict over AI use — showing a deep intergenerational digital divide.
The digital divide in action: how experiences of digital technology shape future relationships with artificial intelligence
A 2024 survey of 303 online participants found that women, older people, those on lower salaries, and those with lower digital access had significantly lower digital confidence, which in turn worsened their attitudes toward AI — demonstrating spill-over effects from digital exclusion.
Digital divide and artificial intelligence for health
A 2026 analysis of health ads on Meta and Instagram across all US states found that AI recommendation systems were more likely to show health misinformation to users in states with high percentages of uninsured people, widening the digital divide.
Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) Is Widening the Digital Divide
A 2025 conceptual analysis argues that geospatial AI is widening the digital divide by concentrating data sovereignty, computational power, and critical literacy among the privileged, entrenching power imbalances.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Divide in Physiotherapy Education
A 2024 commentary on physiotherapy education highlights a significant research gap in AI applications compared to medical and dental education, and calls for bridging the digital divide through targeted AI integration and ethical training.