Page 50 - AI for Good - Impact Report

AI for Good

Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry,

Innovation and Infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

SDG 9 is experiencing uneven progress, with only 2 out of
8 targets currently on track (9.5 Research and development
and 9.c Access to ICT & Internet). 276 The UN reports that
since 2022, the manufacturing sector has faced stagnation,
attributed to geopolitical instability, inflation, logistical chal-
lenges, rising energy costs, and a broader global economic
slowdown. Globally, the share of employment in manufac-
turing has declined, despite some progress in reducing
CO₂ intensity in manufacturing, which still falls short of the
2030 target values. 277

AI and SDG 9 Impact
According to a study on the impact of AI on
Similar to SDG 8, the interplay between SDG 9 and AI is expected SDG 9, AI could act as an (positive) enabler
for 100% of the targets and act as an inhibi-

to yield indirect positive impacts for numerous other SDGs. 278 279 tor (negative) for 50% of the targets. (Nature
AI-driven solutions will contribute to potential SDG impact through Communications, 2020)
technological advancements, which is a key focus area of SDG Use case 1
9. 280 This synergy is well-documented, with numerous UN use
Using new AI technologies to further
cases identified: 14 use cases out of 40 in AI for Good: Innovate for develop the AI technical ecosystem and
Impact, 281 and approximately 140 use cases out of 408 in the UN help it be more efficient and more suitable
Activities on AI. 282 for generating innovation.
Various specific AI use cases can indeed link AI to SDG 9. Firstly, AI
can enhance research efficiency, as evidenced by ar ececent study,
which indicated 8% of its recent articles mention AI, with around
half of 1,600 surveyed scientists considering AI a crucial research
tool. 283 AI's ability to process large volumes of data supports
improved data-driven insights creation and enables innovators
to focus on higher-value tasks while automating tedious ones. 284
Secondly, AI can provide access to previously unusable data or
information, such as processing social media text, satellite images, link
or videos promptly, which was previously time-consuming. 285 Use case 2
Furthermore, AI can significantly contribute to industrialization and Implementing standardization of technol-
manufacturing capacity by optimizing manufacturing processes, ogy and processes to support AI growth,
product design, and enhancing risk control efficiency. 286 innovation, and collaboration.
Given the crucial role of AI in supporting the implementation of the
SDGs, it is vital to ensure that these use cases are prioritized. 287 This
is especially critical in the context of funding, as current research
funds for AI applications often prioritize commercial interests,
potentially leading to a risk of neglecting SDG-related develop-
ment. 288 Consequently, AI use cases with positive environmental
and social impacts may be overlooked in favor of economically
lucrative ones. link
Use case 3
Key Considerations for Stakeholders Connecting AI start-ups to the SDGs gaps
to drive new AI-driven use cases aligned
with the SDGs.
• Financial incentives: To support the development of
SDG-related use cases, research funding should also be
allocated to socially or environmentally beneficial use cases.
• Impact assessment: Aligning AI use case development and
incentives with OECD AI principles to maximize sustainable
value creation. 289 The objective is to prioritize governmental
tools for AI use cases related to the SDGs.

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