Closing the AI Participation Gap: Fireside chat with Accenture and SmartLyte

As part of Get Online Week 2026, Good Things Foundation brought together strategic thinkers and community leaders to address an urgent reality: people who "Can’t Get Online, Can’t Get By."

With essential public services increasingly moving online, access to digital tools is no longer optional - it is the gateway to booking GP appointments, managing household finances, helping children with homework, and securing employment. Today, 2 in 3 adults in the UK are not comfortably online, and with the rapid pace of technological innovation, digital exclusion is growing for the first time in a decade. The digital divide has evolved into a critical AI Participation Gap.

In this Fireside Chat, our very own Vicki Sellick MBE (CEO, Good Things) hosts a dynamic discussion with Cyrus Suntook (Director of Ethical Tech Framework & Business Responsibility, Accenture) and Hafsha Shaikh MBE (Director, SmartLyte / NDIN Hub) to examine how we can build national resilience through responsible technology and community-led skilling.

Watch the full discussion below to learn how ground-truth community insights, industry responsibility, and national advocacy come together to ensure no one is left behind in the AI revolution.

We extend our sincere thanks to our long-standing partner Accenture for supporting the production of this session and hosting us in their London Broadcast Studio. 

Accenture continues to demonstrate market leadership in ethical technology and digital inclusion. In addition to partnering with Good Things on practical skills platforms, Accenture co-founded AI for Growth -a national initiative bringing together frontier AI companies, large corporates, SMEs, government, and civil society around the safe, practical adoption of AI across the UK economy.

Explore the AI Gateway

Building trust and removing fear around artificial intelligence starts with accessible, safe experimentation. Together with Accenture, Good Things Foundation developed the AI Gateway, which has already supported over 100,000 users across the UK.

Whether you are looking to boost your confidence, protect yourself against online scams, or learn how AI can support daily tasks, the AI Gateway provides a free, practical entry point for learners and community hubs alike.

Our Policy Ask: Bake In, Don't Bolt On

Systemic change cannot be achieved through public sector or charity efforts alone. To narrow the AI participation gap permanently, Good Things is calling on government leaders and service designers to bake in, not bolt on digital inclusion support directly into the design of all essential public services.

When digital accessibility, public trust, and local support infrastructure are designed into services from day one, everyone gains the opportunity to thrive in a digital society.