SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF DIGITAL INEQUALITY: NEW BARRIERS TO BALANCEING DEVELOPMENT DISPROPORTIONS IN A TIME OF TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE

The purpose of the study is to determine the role of social factors in exacerbating manifestations of inequality and the risks of the emergence of new forms of digital inequality as a trigger for increasing development disparities in conditions of transformational changes. The article analyzes the social consequences of digitization and digitalization as components of a larger phenomenon of digital transformation. The digital transformation of the social sphere is becoming a powerful catalyst and factor in enhancing inclusivity: thanks to it, connections between different communities are established faster and more effectively, and information, ideas and products are exchanged. The emphasis is on the phenomenon of digital discrimination in view of the scale of the digital divide between countries. The impact of artificial intelligence on productive capacity is determined and it is proven that the main effect of measures to reduce digital inequality in the context of the development of socio-economic systems is an indirect effect, which is manifested, for example, in increasing labor productivity, increasing the speed and scale of innovations, and increasing returns per unit of resources spent. Three levels of digital inequality are distinguished. The impact of subjective expectations from technological transformations is considered depending on the information gap and information asymmetry. Digital inclusion is considered as a process of promoting the growth of digital capabilities, access, knowledge and skills in the use of technologies, in particular the Internet. It is substantiated under what conditions digital inclusion in the digital system will form new manifestations of inequality. The phenomenon of adverse digital incorporation is considered as a process in which privileged groups benefit at the expense of disadvantaged groups or groups that are situationally in a less advantageous position.