Background of Digital Transformation and Society

This chapter introduces and prepares the background to understand recent technological advancements and their impact on society. The chapter temporally and spatially highlights significant events and innovations which have led to the emergence of digital transformation and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). The chapter provides a brief journey of information and communication technology (ICT) along with the development of products and services and emerging trends impacting our daily lives and transforming the socio-economic systems starting from home to business and economy, educational systems, governance systems, political systems, entertainment, and sports. However, Digital Transformation and AI have also posed certain challenges in front of society. There are issues related to job losses, misinformation, fake news, deep fakes, change in cultural value systems, embedding discrimination, amplification of biases, cultural shifts, propaganda, and loss of democratic value systems. This chapter provides a comprehensive background to guide readers through the intricate interplay between digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and society and explore opportunities and challenges.