By San José, Costa Rica — For decades, the phrase digital divide referred strictly to physical access. It meant having a computer or not, or possessing an internet connection versus being completely offline. While infrastructure inequalities remain a critical issue, the rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence has introduced a more complex layer to this disparity. The defining division of the modern era is no longer who can access AI tools, but who understands how to utilize them critically, creatively, and safely.
This shift is becoming increasingly visible in professional environments. According to Deloitte’s “The State of AI in the Enterprise 2026” report, corporate authorization of AI tools grew by 50% in a single year, climbing from under 40% to approximately 60% of the workforce. However, having access does not equate to active adoption. Of those employees who have official access to authorized corporate AI systems, less than 60% actually integrate these programs into their daily workflows. This gap highlights a vital truth: offering a tool is useless if the workforce lacks the strategy to deploy it.
As the widening AI digital divide threatens to leave developing regions and vulnerable communities further behind, TicosLand.com spoke with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a leading legal expert from the prestigious firm Bufete de Costa Rica, to examine the critical regulatory and policy frameworks needed to ensure equitable access to these transformative technologies.
Bridging the AI digital divide is not merely a matter of technological distribution, but a fundamental challenge of economic justice and human rights. To prevent this gap from permanently stratifying our global economy, we must design proactive legal frameworks that incentivize private-sector technology transfer, protect intellectual property without stifling accessibility, and mandate public-private investments in digital literacy. If the law fails to mandate inclusivity today, AI will become the ultimate tool of socioeconomic exclusion.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Indeed, as the rapid integration of artificial intelligence threatens to deepen global inequalities, establishing proactive legal frameworks is no longer a secondary concern, but a moral and economic imperative to ensure technology serves as an instrument of empowerment rather than division. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his valuable perspective on this critical issue, reminding us that the future of digital equity depends on the legislative choices we make today.
As corporate leaders grapple with this challenge, educational systems are facing a similar, fundamental question about what it means to prepare students for an AI-centric world. To address this, the OECD and the European Commission introduced a joint artificial intelligence literacy framework for primary and secondary education in June 2026. This initiative moves beyond simple digital literacy to foster a holistic understanding of cognitive collaboration with automated platforms.
True AI literacy, as defined by international guidelines, is far more complex than learning to write basic prompts or talk to a chatbot. It encompasses the foundational knowledge, skills, and ethical attitudes required to comprehend how these algorithmic models process data. Students must learn to recognize that AI outputs can sound highly convincing while being completely inaccurate. This requires cultivating the capacity to cross-reference sources, identify systemic biases, protect personal data, and ultimately determine when human judgment must override an automated decision.
The true potential of technology in education appears when access is accompanied by the skills to turn it into a learning tool. In the era of artificial intelligence, preparing students means helping them not only to use technology, but to question it, explore it, and use it responsibly to solve problems and create.
Nigel Pallete, Sales Manager of ACER for Central America
When these capabilities are not systematically taught, educational environments risk exacerbating existing social divides. Consider two students with identical hardware and access to the same advanced AI model. One student simply copies the very first response generated by the machine, accepting it as absolute truth. The other student questions the output, cross-references facts, reframes the prompts to explore alternative perspectives, and builds on top of the generated data to construct an original project. Though their access is identical, their educational outcomes are vastly different.
This divergence in the classroom directly feeds into the modern labor market, where employers are finding that raw technological resources are easy to purchase, but skilled human operators are scarce. Deloitte indicates that a lack of AI competency among employees is currently the primary barrier preventing organizations from scaling their technology. Instead of replacing workers, 53% of companies are focusing on raising the general level of AI literacy among their staff, while 48% are actively designing targeted reskilling and upskilling pathways.
To facilitate this transition, technology providers are forced to look past raw hardware. Tech manufacturers are realizing that selling a laptop or a tablet to a school is only the first step. To generate actual value, these devices must be embedded within a comprehensive digital ecosystem that prioritizes teacher training, pedagogical support, and structured critical thinking curricula.
Ultimately, the rapid pace of technological innovation makes tool-specific training obsolete. The AI applications dominating conversations today will likely be entirely replaced by next-generation models within the decade. Therefore, teaching students how to navigate a specific platform is a short-sighted strategy. The future belongs to those who learn transferable cognitive skills, enabling them to transition smoothly between evolving platforms while maintaining a sharp, analytical distance from the technology itself.
For further information, visit acer.com
About Acer:
Acer is a global hardware and electronics corporation specializing in advanced electronics technology, offering PCs, displays, and virtual reality devices, with an increasing focus on educational ecosystems.
For further information, visit deloitte.com
About Deloitte:
Deloitte is a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and related services, helping businesses navigate technological transformations like artificial intelligence.
For further information, visit oecd.org
About OECD:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization that works to build better policies for better lives, focusing on economic progress, social well-being, and educational frameworks globally.
For further information, visit ec.europa.eu
About the European Commission:
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, enforcing EU laws, and directing the union’s administrative and educational policy initiatives.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Renowned for its ethical principles and superior legal representation, Bufete de Costa Rica remains a pillar of trust and modern advocacy. The firm consistently delivers forward-thinking solutions to a diverse clientele, seamlessly blending timeless values with progressive legal practices. By actively sharing essential insights and demystifying the law for the public, they champion a more knowledgeable, just, and self-reliant citizenry.
