The case for and against digital identity in the age of AI
25/06/2025 | Tech Policy Press
An article in Tech Policy Press examines the value that national digital identity systems have delivered for governments and the public.
The advantages include facilitating secure access to government services, reducing administrative burdens, and verifying identities for various transactions.
The analysis also reveals that not all implementations meet this ideal, with some raising serious concerns regarding privacy, surveillance, exclusion, and data security. Issues like centralised data collection, opaque governance, and mission creep have also prompted a backlash. Public adoption often depends on trust in the system's controllers and data handlers, making transparency and user agency crucial.
However, the rapid adoption of generative AI and the emergence of agentic AI have renewed interest in digital identity, as human users are increasingly expected to delegate complex tasks to autonomous AI agents.
The article contains a survey of existing digital identity systems in seven countries, including India, Estonia, Singapore, Brazil, Nigeria, Japan, and Pakistan, providing insights into how these governments have designed, implemented, and managed their digital identity infrastructures.
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