On December 3, the Ivey Business School at Western University is hosting “Reimagining a Digital and AI-Driven World”, the latest workshop in its Measuring the Digital Economy series.
Digital transformation and AI are rapidly reshaping how economies grow, how people work, and how public services are delivered. Yet our core measurement tools—especially GDP—fail to capture much of this change. They don’t reflect whether digital infrastructure is reaching communities, whether AI is boosting productivity or displacing workers, or whether public digital investments are delivering value.
This workshop confronts that gap directly. It brings together experts from national statistical agencies, regulators, academia, and industry to chart a path forward:
- What new indicators do we need to track digital progress?
- How should we design them?
- How can better measurement improve accountability, policy, and outcomes in the digital age?
The agenda is heavily oriented toward measurement with the agenda [pdf] including sessions such as:
- A New Measurement of Digital Divide
- Measuring the Digital Economy: Insights from China’s Platform Economy and Livestreaming Commerce
- Measurement Challenges in the Age of AI
- Towards a New Proposal for Measuring Consumer Benefits in the Digital Economy
- Measuring Broadband: Impact: Challenges and Opportunities
- Where Are We Now? Digital Metrics Today
- Where Should We Go? AI, Skills, Inclusion and the Digital Economy
- Conclusions and Outlooks: Implications for Canada
Why does measurement matter? Analysis of various GDP metrics is essential for monitoring the health of the economy. However, it is also important to assess how digital infrastructure is improving public outcomes — or whether the country is meeting national digital goals. The workshop will explore why complementary indicators are needed to fill critical gaps in understanding performance in the evolving digital and AI-driven world.
Frequent readers know that I have supported this series in the past. Consider joining me on Wednesday, December 3rd at Ivey’s Donald K. Johnson Centre in downtown Toronto for this half-day workshop centered on the digital economy. I look forward to seeing you there.