Labor, Health, and the Digital Divide: Leveraging Machine Learning for Social Equity
A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Work, Employment and the Labor Market".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 18
Special Issue Editor
Interests: machine learning ethics; digital divide; algorithmic bias; health equity; future of work; digital inclusion; social stratification; artificial intelligence; occupational inequality; technological justice
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The convergence of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital technologies is fundamentally changing labor markets, healthcare, and social stratification. While these innovations promise higher productivity, personalized medicine, and better analytical tools, they also pose risks of increasing existing inequalities and creating new forms of digital exclusion. This Special Issue examines the complex relationship between technological progress and social equality, focusing on how machine learning applications influence working conditions, health outcomes, and access to digital resources across different populations.
Recent research shows that algorithmic systems often reproduce and reinforce historical biases, leading to discriminatory outcomes in hiring, healthcare diagnostics, and service delivery. Meanwhile, the digital divide, covering disparities in internet access, digital literacy, and technological infrastructure, continues to impact life opportunities and social mobility. This Special Issue invites interdisciplinary contributions that critically examine how machine learning can act as a tool to advance social equity rather than division.
We invite empirical studies, theoretical analyses, and methodological innovations that address questions related to algorithmic fairness, digital inclusion, occupational change, and health equity in the era of artificial intelligence. Contributions should illustrate how sociological perspectives can inform the ethical development and application of machine learning technologies while advancing social justice objectives.
Dr. Nii Tawiah
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- machine learning ethics
- digital divide
- algorithmic bias
- health equity
- future of work
- digital inclusion
- social stratification
- artificial intelligence
- occupational inequality
- technological justice
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