Page 4 - AI for Good - Impact Report

Foreword by ITU

We are at a turning point.

As Heads of State and Government have recognized in
the Global Digital Compact, part of the newly adopted
UN Pact for the Future, “the pace and power of emerging
technologies are creating new possibilities but also new risks
for humanity.”

Nowhere is this more evident than with artificial intelligence.

Machine-learning models are forecasting weather faster and
more accurately, helping us better prepare for the impacts
of climate change. AI-powered brain-machine interfaces
are giving ALS patients their voice back — just one of many
groundbreaking innovations poised to transform healthcare.
ITU and more than 40 other UN agencies are using AI to connect schools, improve early warning
systems, address social and economic inequalities, and much more.
At the same time, AI-driven automation risks making millions around the world more vulnerable
to job displacement. Photos, including those of minors, are being scraped off the web to create
powerful AI tools, often without consent. Deepfakes and misinformation are blurring reality and
eroding public trust. AI systems are increasingly putting pressure on our planet’s resources and
our environment.
This report offers us a path forward, showcasing real-world AI use-cases that can accelerate
progress across all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while providing actionable
recommendations to turn this potential into reality.

By establishing collaborations on AI standards, increasing access to AI infrastructure and talent,
and fostering global partnerships for responsible AI, we have a unique opportunity to scale these
solutions and make AI an engine for inclusive growth, innovation, and sustainable development.

The road ahead is not easy. The rapid pace of AI development means we are constantly playing
catch-up in critical areas such as security, trust, and governance.

We must not lose sight of the fact that technological advancement should not come at the cost
of human rights and human dignity. Nor can we allow advances in AI to outpace progress in
digital inclusion.

Today, one third of humanity remains offline, cut off from the digital world, let alone the AI
revolution. This divide is more than just a technological gap; it is both a moral and an economic
imperative.

The ‘AI for Good’ platform, the largest UN system multi-stakeholder platform on AI, shows
us what is possible when we all come together to ensure the responsible development and
deployment of AI without stifling innovation — and without leaving anyone behind.

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