Shifting Opportunities: How AI Reshapes the Future of Intergenerational Economic Mobility
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Abstract
This perspective paper discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) may reshape intergenerational economic mobility, with particular attention to the different opportunities and barriers experienced by younger and older generations. While AI-driven tools in education, employment, and public services offer new path-ways for economic advancement, access to these benefits is not equally distributed. Younger individuals, often digital natives, are more likely to capitalize on AI innovations, whereas older adults face structural, cognitive, and social barriers that can limit their engagement. At the same time, the review emphasizes the potential of AI to reduce long-standing disparities in upward mobility—especially when policies and technologies are intentionally designed to include lower-income and digitally marginalized populations across all age groups. Drawing on selected studies and policy discussions, this paper highlights digital divides, systemic obstacles, and inclusive strategies that may help AI become a force for reducing inequality rather than reinforcing it. This study underscores the importance of cross-sector collaboration, adaptive learning environments, and equitable digital access in ensuring that AI contributes to greater fairness across generations.
Keywords
AI literacy; Intergenerational economic mobility; Digital divide; Digital inequality; Economic inequality
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How to cite this paper
Shifting Opportunities: How AI Reshapes the Future of Intergenerational Economic Mobility
How to cite this paper: Jaewon Lee. (2026). Shifting Opportunities: How AI Reshapes the Future of Intergenerational Economic Mobility. Sociology & Social Policy, 3(1), 39-43.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/ssp.2026.06.005
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