Page 57 - AI for Good - Impact Report

AI for Good

Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace,

Justice and Strong Institutions

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development, provide access to justice
for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive
institutions at all levels

SDG 16 encounters significant challenges, with no targets
currently on track. 387 This lack of progress is evident in the
50% surge in civilian deaths in 2022, the global displace-
ment of 104.8 million individuals by the end of 2022, and the
identification of nearly 200,000 trafficking victims between
2017 and 2020. 388
AI and SDG 16 Impact
According to a study on the impact of AI on SDG
AI’s connection with SDG 16 is well-documented, with numerous 16, AI could act as an (positive) enabler for 58%
of the targets and act as an inhibitor (negative)
use cases in AI repositories: 5 out of 40 in the AI for Good: Inno- for 25% of the targets. (Nature Communications,
vate for Impact, 389 and approximately 135 use cases out of 408 in 2020)
the UN Activities on AI. 390 This highlights the significance of AI for Use case 1
SDG 16 and underscores the critical role of strong and inclusive Using AI powered technologies to drive safer cities
institutions in AI development. Specifically, AI applications include
driving efficient and equitable justice, 391 improving government
record-keeping and identification processes, 392 enhancing national
security through crime prediction, and detecting money laundering
activities. 393
AI presents both opportunities and challenges in achieving SDG 16.
On one hand, AI can provide governments with tools to enhance
public safety and justice. On the other hand, it could also be link
exploited for governmental abuse. 394 A key area where AI intersects Use case 2
with governance is through its use in social media, which can influ- Developing AI-technologies to give access and
ence citizen behavior by polarizing opinions. 395 Recommendation discuss them in forums to legal support and legal
system to anyone who might need it.
algorithms often reinforce users' interests by repeatedly exposing
them to the same content (creating echo chambers) and limiting
access to diverse viewpoints (filter bubbles). This restricts citizens'
exposure to new ideas and credible information, potentially deep-
ening extreme beliefs. 396 The spread of misinformation through
AI-generated content, such as deepfakes or biased data, compli-
cates the process of discerning truth. 397
This not only undermines social cohesion but also impacts indi-
viduals and the legal system. Detecting deepfakes, for instance, link
requires specialized tools, making it difficult for people to verify Use case 3
the authenticity of information. 398 Lastly, the centralization of AI Leveraging AI to assess whether some content
ownership by a few entities can restrict participation, both among accessed is deep fake or real information.
countries and individuals. 399 This consolidation of power may lead
to limitations in social systems, as those who control AI could influ-
ence who benefits and who is excluded from its advancements.

Key Considerations for Stakeholders
• Data privacy: Lack of trust in data sharing could reduce the potential of
smart cities. 400 Governments should make sure to create an appropriate link
privacy framework to avoid any problems with the over-sharing of data.
• User-centric: Align the development of AI solutions with UNESCO’s
Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’ that human
dignity is maintained. 401

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