Page 40 - AI for Good - Impact Report

AI for Good

Achieving the SDGs with AI

Evaluating Progress: AI implementation across the SDGs

The SDGs, also known as the 2030 Agenda, include 17 goals and 169 targets that outline a
sustainable future. These goals cover a wide array of social, environmental, and economic
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dimensions, offering a comprehensive framework for assessing sustainability. Despite their
pivotal role in driving actions towards a sustainable future, most SDGs are unfortunately not
progressing as intended, with some even regressing. This lack of progress poses a significant
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risk to the quality of life for billions of people and strains the limits of our planet. Moreover,
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the incomplete data availability for all goals further complicates the assessment of the current
situation, raising concerns about the accuracy of the overall picture.
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Despite the current outlook, an increasing number of people are advocating the use of
technology to reverse this trend. The aim is that technology could equip governmental and non-
governmental actors with the necessary tools to mitigate negative environmental effects while
encouraging positive social impacts. AI has evolved as a technology with numerous use cases
that support the alignment of the SDGs with technological advancements. For instance, AI
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can enhance data availability in previously unmeasurable areas, such as using satellite images
to monitor deforestation. The existence of numerous other AI use cases underscores the
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potential of AI in shaping a more sustainable future. 147
To ensure that AI is used to advance the SDGs, governments and users must address the
diverse challenges posed by AI. Concerns have been raised regarding AI's potential for biases,
the development of technology and knowledge monopolies, and the impact on jobs. It is
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important to align the next steps of AI development with a sustainable future and incorporate
the appropriate enabling factors from the outset. Governments play a key role in creating a
supportive landscape by addressing aspects such as private-public collaboration, regulations,
transparency, and other relevant considerations.

To assist governments in this endeavour, this chapter aims to initially outline specific AI use cases
for each SDG, providing a clear understanding of AI's potential impact on each goal. Using AI
sources such as the AI for Good: Innovate for Impact report, the AI for Social Good report, the
UN Activities on AI report, and others, this chapter will highlight potential use cases for each
SDG. Subsequently, it will present specific opportunities and risks of AI for each SDG, offering
insights to contextualise the technology's influence on the 2030 Agenda. Additionally, special
considerations regarding trade-offs or synergies between the SDGs will be included.

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