The inclusive digital economic infrastructure framework: A system level integration of AI, blockchain, and tokenization for sustainable development

Abstract

Contemporary poverty is increasingly understood as a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing income deprivation, vulnerability, digital exclusion, and limited participation in emerging economic systems. This paper contributes a system level ICT4D framework that bridges intelligence systems and decentralized value distribution mechanisms, demonstrating how the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), Web3, blockchain, and tokenization can address multidimensional poverty through interoperable socio technical systems.The paper introduces the Inclusive Digital Economic Infrastructure (IDEI), a multi layer framework comprising intelligence, infrastructure, value, and application layers. Drawing on global policy reports, emerging enterprise practices, and multi stakeholder perspectives, the framework provides a structured approach to integrating AI driven decision making with decentralized trust mechanisms and programmable value systems.The study identifies a critical gap in existing literature, where AI and decentralized technologies remain largely disconnected, and proposes a unified architecture for inclusive and sustainable digital economic systems. The IDEI framework contributes to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of digital infrastructure design, artificial intelligence, and inclusive economic development, with direct relevance to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the design of inclusive, socio-technical digital systems.The framework also provides a foundation for responsible management education through the integration of emerging technologies, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable development outcomes.