Facing intertwined challenges like poverty, inequality, and climate change, humanity seeks solutions in technology. This chapter delves into AI's role in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), balancing potential and risks. AI's strengths in data analysis, trend prediction, and resource optimisation are evident. It aids SDGs like zero hunger, forecasting crop yields for SDG 2, and anticipating climate events for SDG 13. It also enhances healthcare and education for SDGs 4 and 10. Yet, AI poses risks. Data bias reinforces inequalities (SDG 5), automation threatens jobs (SDG 1), and transparency issues affect trust (SDG 16). To unlock AI's potential, responsible deployment is vital, prioritising human-centred approaches. Addressing limitations, leveraging strengths, and ethical considerations can make AI a force for good. This chapter calls for further research on specific AI applications for each SDG, social and environmental impacts, and ethical frameworks.
TopIntroduction
The contemporary global landscape is marked by a complex interplay of challenges, prominently including poverty, inequality, and climate change (World Bank, 2021; United Nations, 2020a). These issues are deeply interconnected, exacerbating one another and posing significant obstacles to sustainable development efforts worldwide (IPCC, 2018; World Bank, 2023). Poverty remains a persistent barrier to human flourishing, affecting billions of individuals and impeding progress across various dimensions of well-being (World Bank, 2021). Similarly, inequality, whether in terms of income, access to resources, or opportunities, undermines social cohesion and economic stability, perpetuating cycles of disadvantage (Oxfam, 2020; World Economic Forum, 2021). Moreover, the existential threat of climate change looms large, with its adverse impacts already being felt across the globe, from extreme weather events to disruptions in food and water security (IPCC, 2021; United Nations, 2020b).
In response to these intertwined challenges, there has been a growing recognition of the potential of technology to drive transformative change and facilitate progress towards sustainable development goals (SDGs) (United Nations, 2019). At the forefront of technological innovation stands Artificial Intelligence (AI), a rapidly advancing field with the capacity to revolutionize various aspects of human endeavor (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2019). AI's ability to analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and make predictions holds promise for enhancing decision-making processes and informing targeted interventions aimed at addressing key development challenges (MGI, 2018; Schwab, 2017).
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of AI and SDGs Integration
Therefore, this paper sets out to explore the nuanced relationship between AI and the SDGs, recognizing it as a pivotal nexus where technological innovation intersects with global development priorities (United Nations, 2019). By examining the potential synergies and tensions between AI's capabilities and the aspirations encapsulated within the SDGs, we aim to elucidate the role of AI in advancing sustainable development efforts worldwide.
The overarching purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to elucidate the ways in which AI can be leveraged to assess progress towards, and ultimately contribute to the achievement of, the SDGs; and second, to critically analyze the challenges and risks associated with the integration of AI into development processes, including issues related to data bias, job displacement, and ethical considerations (Floridi et al., 2018; Floridi & Cowls, 2019).