SYNERGY OF DIGITAL ECONOMY AND HUMAN CAPITAL AS A FACTOR FOR ENSURING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article proposes the concept of synergy between the digital economy and human capital as a factor in ensuring sustainable development, which includes an assessment of the human development index (HDI) and digital competitiveness (IMD WDCR) taking into account the peculiarities of the synergistic effect in the educational environment. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the theoretical and applied principles and model the mechanism of synergy between digital technologies and human capital, provided that sustainable development goals are defined. To achievethe research goal, a complex of scientific methods was used, in particular abstract-logical, system-parametric, comparative, bibliometric analysis, and economic-statistical modeling. The concept of «digital human capital» is clarified, and the relationships between the concepts of «digital economy», «human capital» and «sustainable development» are defined. The peculiarities of the emergence of synergy in the educational environment are highlighted due to the complementarity of two vectors: technological and anthropocentric. The fundamental components of sustainable development are identified: economic, social and environmental through the realization of synergistic potential in the educational and economic spheres. To assess the synergistic effect, it is proposed to use the correlation between the digital economy and society index and the indicators of sustainable development goals, which can be used to calculate the predictive effect.The challenges of replacing human labor with artificial intelligence as a complex transformation process are systematized: structural unemployment and dequalification, erosion of professional identity, and increasing income inequality.To overcome these challenges, a change in the sustainable development paradigm from «replacement» to «complementation» is proposed, which involves the development of soft skills and lifelong learning.To enhance the synergistic effect, it is proposed to implement the concept of lifelong learning at the state level with a focus on critical thinking and working with AI.Stimulate the creation of comprehensive digital educational ecosystems (universities, IT businesses, government agencies). Direct digital transformation towards achieving «green» goals for the development of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions.