The rapid spread of digital technologies across society raises questions about whether these systems are designed to genuinely serve people or primarily to maximize efficiency and profit. A human-centric digital future seeks to address this concern by placing human rights and participation at the core of technological design. This article explores how such an approach can reshape digital transformation into a process that empowers users rather than excluding them. By drawing on examples from healthcare and automation, it highlights how user involvement in design not only lowers the risk of errors but also fosters trust and ethical coherence in technology. At the same time, there are drawbacks to the move toward human-centric systems, such as the difficulties of scaling participatory approaches and striking a balance between privacy and personalization. However, rather than being defects in the vision itself, these are problems of practice.The discussion concludes that true digital progress goes beyond technical growth and it rests on innovation that serves human needs and respects fundamental rights.