Despite mobile broadband reaching 96% of the world's population, 38% of people remain offline—a gap driven primarily by a lack of digital literacy, according to a new report by GSMA Intelligence in partnership with Huawei. The report, titled “Bridging the Divide: Enhancing Digital Literacy in the AI Era,” was released at UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week and highlights that closing this usage gap could add $3.5 trillion to global GDP by 2030, with over 90% of those gains benefiting low- and middle-income countries.
The research identifies artificial intelligence as a double-edged sword. AI-powered voice assistants and multimodal applications can help low-literacy users bypass text input, making technology more accessible. However, AI also raises the bar for security and critical thinking, requiring users to understand data privacy and identify risks such as fraud and deepfakes. Without targeted interventions in basic digital training, rapid AI adoption risks entrenching existing inequalities even in areas with full network coverage.
According to World Bank statistics cited in the report, GenAI literacy carries the highest wage premium—up to 36%—far exceeding returns for both digital and traditional AI skills. This underscores the economic imperative of equipping people with these skills.
The report emphasizes community-based delivery models. It cites Huawei’s Skills on Wheels initiative, particularly its solar-powered DigiTruck mobile classrooms, as a field-tested example. These trucks bring hardware, rural connectivity, and hands-on training—including AI literacy—to off-grid regions. Since 2019, Skills on Wheels projects have reached more than 130,000 people across 21 countries. A report by Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy shows that 79% of DigiTruck trainees passed on their new skills to family and peers, creating a multiplier effect.
“Digital literacy can no longer be defined by static thresholds,” said Tim Hatt, head of research and consultancy at GSMA Intelligence. “Connectivity alone is insufficient—capabilities, system design and trust must evolve together. To capture this multi-trillion-dollar opportunity, stakeholders must integrate layered AI literacy directly into daily livelihoods through trusted community channels.”
Gavin Allen, Executive Editor-in-Chief at Huawei, added: “Mobile classrooms have demonstrated immense value in helping underserved populations break through physical and psychological barriers to technology. We will continue working alongside local governments and industry partners to drive digital literacy, ensuring that no one is left behind as we transition into the AI economy.”
The report urges policymakers, telecom operators, and technology vendors to treat AI literacy as core infrastructure. It outlines four priorities: treating practical AI awareness, online safety, and information verification as a baseline national qualification; adopting multilingual voice and conversational interfaces across public services; scaling up mobile learning units through cross-sector partnerships; and measuring performance by independent task completion and fraud resilience rather than trainee numbers.
A new DigiTruck program will launch in France this autumn, covering several cities in the Île-de-France region and targeting low-income and underserved communities with digital skills training. The full report is available on the GSMA Intelligence research portal.
