Introduction As emerging instruments in digital health, large language models (LLMs) assimilate values and attitudes from human-generated data, thereby possessing the latent capacity to reflect public health perspectives. This study investigates into the representational biases of LLMs through the lens of health equity. We propose and empirically validate a three-dimensional explanatory framework encompassing Data Resources, Opinion Distribution, and Prompt Language, positing that prompts are not just communicative media but critical conduits that embed cultural context. Methods Utilizing a selection of prominent LLMs from the United States and China-namely Gemini 2.5 Pro, GPT-5, DeepSeek-V3, and Qwen 3. We conduct a systematic empirical analysis of their performance in representing health attitudes across diverse nations and demographic strata. Results Our findings demonstrate that: first, the accessibility of data resources is a primary determinant of an LLM’s representational fidelity for internet users and nations with high internet penetration. Second, a greater consensus in public health opinion correlates with an increased propensity for the models to replicate the dominant viewpoint. Third, a significant “native language association” is observed, wherein Gemini 2.5 Pro and DeepSeek-V3 exhibit superior performance when prompted in their respective native languages. Conversely, models with enhanced multilingual proficiencies, such as GPT-5.0 and Qwen 3, display greater cross-lingual consistency. Discussion This paper not only quantifies the degree to which these leading LLMs reflect public health attitudes but also furnishes a robust analytical pathway for dissecting the underlying mechanisms of their representational biases. These findings bear profound implications for the advancement of health equity in the artificial intelligence era.

This study investigates the role of the digital economy in promoting economic growth and reducing unemployment in developing countries. As digital technologies reshape production and labor systems, understanding their economic effects becomes crucial for sustainable development. Using a quantitative approach, panel data from developing nations (2010–2025) were analyzed through fixed and random effects regression models to measure the influence of internet penetration, ICT investment, and digital financial inclusion on GDP growth and unemployment. The findings reveal that the digital economy positively and significantly enhances economic growth while reducing unemployment rates, particularly when supported by education and capital investment. These results confirm that digitalization drives productivity, innovation, and job creation. The study concludes that developing countries should strengthen digital infrastructure, promote digital literacy, and implement supportive policies to harness the full potential of digital transformation for inclusive economic progress.

Demographic factors significantly shape economic development, especially in rapidly transitioning nations like Saudi Arabia. This research explores how demographic dynamics such as population growth, education, health, and employment impact Saudi Arabia's economic development. This analysis of the demographic factors and economic growth model for Saudi Arabia using annual time series observations from 2000 to 2023 utilizes new methods such as the ARDL and co-integration techniques; the study brings new perspectives on the dynamic causal connections between measures of population growth, education and health, and workforce development that are paramount for Vision 2030 economic planning. Also, this research uniquely examines the impact of gender workforce participation and access to new technologies on Saudi Arabia's demographic characteristics and economic development. It aims to uncover how modern societal and technological trends influence economic evolution and support Vision 2030's diversification and sustainable development goals. Results reveal that the Human Development Index HDI, Female participation in the total labour force FPTL, and Internet penetration rate IPR which is a proxy variable of technological advancement, significantly and positively influence economic growth and development, underscoring the importance of human development, gender inclusion, and digital connectivity. Conversely, the unemployment rate shows a marginally significant relationship with GDP. Policymakers should understand the role of demographics as vital for economic development planning and enhancing human development, promoting gender equity, and improving digital infrastructure for sustainable economic growth.

The global digital revolution has profoundly transformed human life, reshaping communication, business, and governance. Indonesia, as one of the most populous nations with high internet penetration, is experiencing rapid growth in its digital economy. This transformation is evident in the proliferation of e-commerce, financial technology (fintech), ride-hailing platforms, and social media, which have significantly contributed to economic dynamism. The digital economy presents substantial opportunities, such as the creation of new jobs, enhancement of productivity, financial inclusion for underserved communities, improved efficiency in business processes, and the acceleration of innovation that elevates the quality of life. Despite these promising prospects, challenges persist, particularly in the legal and regulatory domains. The rapid pace of technological advancement often outstrips regulatory development, creating legal ambiguity and uncertainty. Moreover, issues such as inadequate consumer protection and escalating cybersecurity threats present further risks to sustainable growth. Law therefore plays a crucial role in shaping a secure, innovative, and inclusive digital ecosystem. An adaptive and forward-looking legal framework is essential to building a conducive investment climate, safeguarding consumer rights, stimulating innovation, and preventing unfair competition. This paper argues that legal adaptation and regulatory responsiveness are key to ensuring that the benefits of digital transformation can be fully realized while mitigating its potential risks. By aligning legal structures with technological progress, Indonesia can harness the potential of its digital economy to drive long-term economic transformation and sustainable development.

The article examines the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various sectors in India, driven by its tech-savvy population and high internet penetration, while also noting the current absence of a specific AI regulatory framework. It critically assesses ethical concerns in the Indian context, compares regulatory approaches in other Asian countries, and evaluates India’s policies against the UN’s directives and ethical principles for AI regulation. The paper underscores the importance of responsible AI development and deployment, aligning with UN principles that prioritise human rights, safety, fairness, transparency, accountability, and human oversight. Furthermore, it examines the potential of AI to contribute to sustainability, referencing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (such as SDGs 9, 10 and 17), while also acknowledging the environmental impact of AI technologies. The article concludes by advocating for a robust AI framework in India that safeguards individual liberties and promotes societal well-being in line with global ethical standards, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration, public engagement, and a commitment to human rights.

ABSTRACT Global value chains (GVCs) are central to resource allocation, industrial upgrading, employment creation, and international competitiveness, yet few studies distinguish between forward and backward participation. Using panel data from 75 countries from 2000 to 2020, this article analyzes internet’s impact on manufacturing GVC participation. We find that higher internet penetration increases forward participation but reduces backward participation. The positive effect on forward participation is weaker in countries with larger service sectors and higher population density, whereas the negative effect on backward participation is stronger in manufacturing-intensive countries. Mechanism analyses indicate that internet increases the forward participation by stimulating innovation, while it lowers backward participation by raising labour productivity and further facilitating domestic substitution of intermediate inputs. These patterns imply that developing countries that leverage the internet to upgrade may move into higher value-added segments, whereas those that fail to upgrade risk marginalization. This study fills a gap by separately identifying internet effects on forward and backward participation and offers policy guidance for improving the quality of GVC engagement.

Social media usage and internet penetration have significantly expanded nationwide since the launch of the Digital India program, promoting social and economic development. But this digital growth has also led to a dramatic increase in cybercrimes, especially on social networking sites. In the context of Digital India, this research paper conducts an analytical analysis of the rise in cybercrimes, paying particular attention to social media abuse. It looks at the characteristics, origins, and trends of cybercrimes include financial fraud, identity theft, cyberstalking, online harassment, and the spread of false information. The paper assesses court interpretations and enforcement issues while critically analyzing the current legislative framework, particularly the Information Technology Act of 2000. It highlights the main weaknesses brought on by a lack of cybersecurity measures, a lack of digital literacy, and the ever-changing nature of cyberthreats. The study identifies weaknesses in the current regulatory and preventive systems using case studies and data analysis. In order to handle the new hazards, it also suggests extensive reforms that include technological, legal, and pedagogical measures. In order to protect the goals of the Digital India program, the results highlight the urgent need for a balanced strategy that fosters digital innovation while maintaining strong cybersecurity.

Digital transformation is redefining marketing practices across emerging economies. Vietnam – one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing digital markets – offers a compelling case with over 79% internet penetration and 72 million social media users as of 2024. This paper examines Vietnam’s digital marketing transformation in the broader context of emerging economies. We synthesize literature on global digital marketing trends and specific challenges in developing markets, and employ a case-based analysis of Vietnam using secondary data from academic studies, government reports, and industry surveys. Key findings reveal a vibrant, mobile-first digital landscape characterized by the rise of short-form video content, influencer-driven campaigns, “shoppertainment” e-commerce, and AI-powered personalization. Businesses in Vietnam are leveraging platforms like TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and local Zalo for broad consumer reach, with e-commerce valued at over $20 billion in 2023 and growing rapidly. However, significant challenges persist, including a digital skills gap, regulatory uncertainties (e.g. new data protection rules), heavy platform dependence, measurement/ROI limitations, and a rural–urban digital divide. Enabling factors such as a young tech-savvy population, expanding broadband infrastructure, and supportive government initiatives have catalyzed progress. The discussion highlights implications: businesses must adopt mobile-first and data-driven strategies, marketers need upskilling and diversified channel approaches, and policymakers should refine regulatory frameworks and support SME digitalization. This study contributes to understanding how emerging markets like Vietnam are navigating digital marketing transformation, emphasizing the need for localized, inclusive strategies to sustain growth.

ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, the internet has become a crucial driver of development, contributing to productivity gains in many countries. However, despite its growing significance, there is a substantial gap in research about the impact of media quality and accessibility on economic growth. The previous research focused on high‐income countries, often lacking theoretical depth and key control variables. The current study uses freedom on the net indicator and internet penetration data, from 2013 to 2023, to estimate how they both affect economic growth in 15 emerging economies. The analysis implements a dynamic panel regression originating from a modified Cobb–Douglas production function. Using the panel General Method of Moments and panel Granger causality tests, the findings reveal a positive impact of Internet penetration on economic growth, indicating that an increase in the number of Internet users correlates with stronger economic performance. Additionally, there is a positive association between internet freedom and economic growth, suggesting that countries with higher levels of internet freedom and less censorship experience more robust economic growth. The results are significant for policymakers since they signify the importance of their efforts to enhance access to the internet as this strategy can increase transparency bringing down government expenditure and corruption. At the same time, the findings point out the need for highly educated people in terms of online safety measures, as well as their higher responsibility to safeguard vulnerable citizens from mis and disinformation.

Introduction. Since its establishment in 2015, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – uniting Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation – has guaranteed the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour; today it has become a key instrument of economic integration, especially for Russia. The joint digitalisation of EAEU economies is viewed as a strategic avenue for deepening integration and mitigating external disintegration pressures. Over the past decades, the rapid spread of digital platforms as a new business model with powerful network effects has radically reshaped traditional industries. The present study offers a comprehensive analysis of digitalplatform phenomena within the context of Eurasian integration, addressing both theoretical aspects (definitions, classifications and core properties) and practical aspects (drivers of formation, current state and prospects for platformeconomy development in EAEU member states). Materials and methods. The research employs a mixed approach that integrates theoretical and empirical analysis of digitalplatform development in the EAEU. The theoretical section reviews the essence of digital platforms alongside diverse scholarly approaches to their definition and classification. The empirical section examines the preconditions for platform formation, the current state of the platform economy across the Union, the results achieved to date, persisting challenges and prospects for further growth. The study draws upon the author’s dissertation materials as well as peerreviewed Russian and international sources, including statistical reports and analytical reviews, ensuring the reliability and relevance of the findings. Results of the study. The rapid emergence of the EAEU platform economy has been driven by global digitalisation trends, lower transaction costs in ecommerce compared with traditional trade, rising digital literacy, broad Internet penetration and accessible bigdata analytics tools. Platform development in the region has progressed in stages and, by the mid2020s, has reached a mature growth phase. A pronounced development asymmetry was identified: Russia leads the platform sector, whereas smaller economies (e.g., Armenia and Kyrgyzstan) lag behind in coverage, infrastructure and investment. Discussion and conclusion. In recent years digital platforms have shown steady positive dynamics in the EAEU, becoming an engine of regional economic integration and sustaining the expansion of mutual trade even under external pressure. Nevertheless, several bottlenecks hamper further progress, including regulatory fragmentation, infrastructure gaps and intercountry disparities. Coordinated measures are required – notably the adoption and implementation of a supranational Agreement on Electronic Commerce to harmonise platform rules, coupled with continued investment in core connectivity and logistics infrastructure. These steps are expected to create, in the near future, a unified EAEU digital space where platforms weave national markets into a single ecosystem, enhancing overall competitiveness and resilience to external shocks.

Environmental governance in the digital era: Evidence from Chinese listed firms on pollution mitigation.

This study aims to analyze the transformation, challenges, and opportunities of digital marketing strategies in the era of social media domination. Based on the phenomenon of increasing connectivity and digital participation among Indonesians, with internet penetration reaching 80.66%, this study highlights how changes in consumer behavior and technological advances are shifting the marketing paradigm from product-centric to human-centric. The method used is a qualitative-conceptual approach based on literature studies with content analysis of various recent scientific literature in the fields of digital marketing, consumer behavior, and information technology. The results show that digital marketing strategies now require the integration of artificial intelligence and human empathy through the five pillars of Marketing 5.0: data-driven, predictive, contextual, augmented, and agile marketing. The main challenges include information fatigue, data trust crisis, and digital literacy gap, while the greatest opportunities lie in the integration of online-offline strategies, storytelling based on human values, and consumer collaboration in brand value creation. This research concludes that the success of digital marketing does not only depend on technology, but on a company's ability to humanize technology. Inclusive digital literacy and public data ethics are needed to ensure that digital transformation runs smoothly.

The widespread adoption of digital technologies in Malaysia, with internet penetration reaching 97.4% in 2023, has profoundly redefined childhood experiences. While digital parenting principles are globally recognised, their application in Malaysia is shaped by socio-cultural diversity, religious beliefs, and economic inequalities, and existing parenting resources often lack sustained, culturally competent guidance. This study employed a mixed-methods design, combining a nationwide market validation survey of Malaysian parents (n = 240) with focus group discussions involving participants from diverse backgrounds, to examine challenges, preferences, and expectations in digital parenting. Findings reveal that parents struggle with screen time regulation, online risk management, and awareness of harmful content, issues further compounded by disparities in digital literacy. Parents expressed strong demand for short-form, visually engaging, and interactive content, alongside features such as expert-led Q&A, age-specific content filtering, and peer-sharing narratives, while also emphasising the importance of moral and faith-based guidance embedded in Islamic and cultural values. Evaluation of the Platform Keibubapaan Digital (Platform KID) prototype highlighted the need for greater interactivity, community engagement, and personalisation. By synthesising global best practices with local cultural contexts, the study informs the development of Platform KID as a model for empowering Malaysian parents with the skills, confidence, and ethical frameworks to raise digitally resilient children, with implications that extend beyond Malaysia to other Muslim-majority and multicultural societies.

E-money usage in Indonesia has grown significantly due to increasing internet penetration and smartphone adoption. Digital transactions are becoming more common, with platforms like GoPay, OVO, and Dana leading the market. The government and financial institutions actively support this shift through regulations and initiatives. This study analyzes user sentiment on the Pospay application using the BERT deep learning method, based on 16,760 Google Play Store reviews. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to apply BERT for sentiment analysis of Pospay user reviews in Indonesia. The goal is to understand user perceptions and satisfaction. BERT helps capture subtle nuances in reviews, including informal expressions and abbreviations like "gk" for negative sentiment. The model achieves high accuracy, with precision scores of 0.82 (negative) and 0.93 (positive), and recall scores of 0.92 (negative) and 0.93 (positive). Findings suggest PT Pos should enhance application stability, security, transaction processing, and customer service. Regular updates are recommended to improve performance and user satisfaction.

ABSTRACT This study explores the impact of the digital economy on urban innovation quality, using data from 265 Chinese cities over the period 2012–2023. The results show that digital economy initiatives significantly enhance urban innovation quality, with pilot zones outperforming non‐pilot zones by 15%. The mechanism analysis emphasises the mediating role of collaborative innovation. Compared to the breadth of collaborative innovation, the digital economy has a relatively small effect on the depth of collaborative innovation; the depth of collaboration plays a more significant role in improving innovation quality. Further analysis shows that the digital economy's impact on innovation quality is stronger in regions with higher internet penetration and advanced industrial structures. In cities with higher internet penetration, innovation quality improves through deeper collaboration, whilst in cities with lower penetration, it improves mainly through broader networks. In cities with advanced industrial structures, the digital economy boosts both the breadth and depth of collaboration, enhancing innovation quality. This study enhances our understanding of how the digital economy drives urban innovation by unravelling the complex mechanisms behind collaborative innovation.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a strategic role as a key pillar in strengthening the national economy, including in Sorong City, Southwest Papua Province. However, most MSME actors in this region still face limitations in utilizing digital technology as a marketing tool. In fact, advances in information technology and the high rate of internet penetration in Indonesia offer great opportunities for MSMEs to expand their market networks and enhance business competitiveness. This community service activity aims to improve the knowledge, skills, and awareness of MSME actors regarding the importance of digital-based marketing through a digital marketing socialization program. The implementation methods include material presentation, interactive discussions, and practical simulations using digital platforms. The results show a significant improvement in participants’ understanding of basic digital marketing concepts, their ability to create business accounts, independently upload products, and design simple promotional content using digital applications. In addition, participants demonstrated high enthusiasm throughout the activity and took the initiative to form a digital marketing learning community as a follow-up for continuous mentoring.

The rapid expansion of Over the Top (OTT) platforms in India has transformed the nation’s entertainment consumption patterns, driven by increased internet penetration, affordable data plans, and the diversification of digital content. However, as competition intensifies among global and domestic streaming providers, understanding the determinants that influence consumers’ subscription decisions has become critical. This study examines two key factors cultural content and pricing models and their role in shaping subscription behavior among Indian audiences. The research focuses on the cultural alignment of OTT content with regional languages, traditional storytelling, and socio-cultural relevance, alongside the perceived fairness and attractiveness of various pricing structures such as freemium, ad supported, and premium subscription models. The study adopts a descriptive and quantitative approach using structured questionnaires distributed among active OTT users across different age groups and regions in India. Data were analyzed through correlation and regression techniques to assess the strength and direction of relationships between cultural content, pricing perceptions, and subscription intentions. Findings indicate that culturally relevant content significantly enhances consumer engagement and subscription likelihood, as audiences strongly connect with regional narratives and linguistic representation. Moreover, pricing models that offer perceived value for money through flexible plans, bundled offers, and affordable monthly rates positively influence willingness to subscribe. The results highlight the need for OTT platforms to balance global content appeal with localized cultural identity and adaptive pricing strategies that resonate with the price sensitive yet content driven Indian market. This research contributes to the growing literature on consumer behavior in digital entertainment and provides practical insights for OTT service providers to design effective market strategies. By integrating cultural affinity and economic perception into their business models, platforms can achieve greater customer acquisition, satisfaction, and retention in the dynamic Indian OTT landscape.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the determinants of the ecological footprint (EF) in G8 nations from 2000 to 2022, with a focus on renewable energy consumption (REC), economic complexity (EC), geopolitical risk (GPR), and their interaction (REC × EC). Advanced panel econometric techniques—including the CIPS unit root test, Westerlund cointegration, and Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR)—are employed to account for cross‐sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity, and distributional asymmetries. Feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) estimation and FE with the Driscoll–Kraay method provide robustness validation. The results reveal that EC generally reduces EF, particularly in low‐ and mid‐EF contexts, but its mitigating effect weakens and becomes insignificant in high‐EF settings. Importantly, the interaction term (REC × EC) significantly offsets the ecological costs of renewable energy, showing that economic sophistication enhances the capacity of renewables to deliver genuine environmental benefits through improved integration, efficiency, and technological upgrading. By contrast, REC on its own exhibits a positive association with EF across most quantiles, especially in high‐stress contexts, reflecting transitional ecological costs, parallel fossil energy systems, and inefficiencies in renewable deployment. GPR consistently increases EF, with stronger effects at higher ecological stress levels, underscoring the destabilizing influence of geopolitical tensions on sustainable energy transitions. Control variables—trade openness (TO), internet penetration rate (IPR), and R&D spending (RD)—exhibit heterogeneous impacts depending on model specification and distributional position. This study contributes to the literature by explicitly incorporating the moderating role of EC in the REC–EF nexus, applying a quantile‐based approach for nuanced heterogeneity analysis, and providing robust, endogeneity‐corrected evidence to guide SDG‐aligned policy strategies in advanced economies.

BackgroundThe benefits of Internet use in reducing loneliness among older adults have been well-documented, particularly during COVID-19 lockdowns. However, most existing research has focused on high-income countries. Studies exploring this relationship in lower‐and middle‐income countries are lacking, where low Internet penetration and significant digital divides persist among older adults. This study aimed to investigate the association between Internet use and loneliness among older adults in China, a large middle-income country. We further investigated the moderating effects of several demographic characteristics and COVID-19-related factors, as well as the mediating roles of social participation and online social contact in the observed associations.MethodsData from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey was used in this study (N = 7,303). We used ordered logistic regression to evaluate the association between Internet use and loneliness among adults aged 65 years and older. Additionally, we examined whether demographic characteristics, such as gender, marital status, and urban–rural region of residence, the severity of lockdown, and COVID-19 fears and anxiety, moderated this relationship. We also explored the mediating roles of social participation and online social contact.ResultsInternet use was significantly associated with lower odds of experiencing loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, even after adjusting for pre-COVID-19 loneliness levels. Being married further strengthened the association between Internet use and lower loneliness. Social participation and online social contact both mediated the association.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the potential of Internet use as an intervention to mitigate loneliness among older adults during major public health crises, such as the COVID-19, by promoting social participation and online social contact. This provides an implication for developing strategies to support the older population during future crises.

With the ongoing progress of urbanization, the urban ecosystem is becoming increasingly fragile, exacerbated further by the emergence of urban agglomerations. Based on the ‘Pressure-State-Response’ model and panel data covering the period from 2010 to 2021, the step-by-step vertical and horizontal tiered evaluation method is employed to calculate the scores of ecological resilience in China’s urban agglomerations. The Dagum’s Gini coefficient, global and local Moran’s index, unite strength and unite threshold, Markov chain, and geographic detector are utilized to reveal regional disparities, dynamic evolution, and driving factors of ecological resilience in China’s urban agglomerations. The results reveal several significant findings: (1) The ecological resilience in Chinese urban agglomerations exhibited a fluctuating yet upward trend. (2) Although disparities in the ecological resilience of China’s urban agglomerations are decreasing, differences between them remain significant. (3) Spatial correlation is evident in the ecological resilience of China’s urban agglomerations. High-high clusters are primarily found in the eastern and upgrading urban agglomerations, while low-low clusters are concentrated in the western and fostering urban agglomerations. (4) The number of cities exceeding the ecological resilience threshold is gradually increasing, with core cities playing a pivotal role. (5) The probability of transition in a city is affected by the ecological resilience states of adjacent cities. (6) Driving factors such as Internet penetration rate, informatization level, and innovation capacity have significant but heterogeneous effects on ecological resilience. This paper enlightens that spatial co-governance and zoning management of ecological resilience are crucial for achieving regional ecological security.