Page 16 - Connecting the Future How Connectivity and AI Unlock New Potential

Connecting the Future: How Connectivity and AI Unlock New Potential

Estonia’s Digital Public Infrastructure 39

Estonia has become a global leader in digital public infrastructure by combining secure
digital identity, robust cybersecurity, and streamlined digital governance. Many of its
public service innovations are powered by AI, developed through close collaboration
between the government, local technology companies, and research institutions. These
AI-driven solutions are actively applied across sectors such as healthcare, transportation,
and public administration.
Its national ID system enables secure access to services like i-Voting, banking, and health-
care, while the “Cyber-Conscious Estonia” strategy strengthens national resilience against
cyber threats. Estonia’s government cloud ensures continuity of public services, and its
digital healthcare initiatives, including e-prescriptions and electronic vaccination certifi-
cates, have enhanced both everyday care and crisis response. Through these integrated
efforts, Estonia has created a resilient, efficient, and citizen-centric digital society that
serves as a model for digital transformation worldwide.

1�3 Connectivity Infrastructure to Achieve United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals

The true promise of connectivity infrastructure as an enabler of AI goes beyond scaling the number
of AI applications and users around the world. Instead, such infrastructure serves to realize the
broader goals for the collective humanity. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the
United Nations in 2015 were a universal call to action to eliminate poverty and ensure all people
enjoy physical well-being and economic prosperity. Increased digital connectivity that drives AI
deployment and development can drastically elevate living standards, thus accelerating successful
achievements of multiple SDGs.
These six SDGs below showcase the transformative potential of combining digital infrastructure
with AI innovation.

Digital Connectivity and Progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
SDG 1 – No Poverty: The proliferation of information and communication tech-
nologies has demonstrated abilities to enhance economic growth and reduce
poverty. 40

SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: Greater digital connectivity has revo-
lutionized the healthcare sector by improving patient care, diagnosis and
treatments. 41

SDG 4 – Quality Education: Countries with greater levels of digital connectivity
in schools generally enjoy higher performance levels on standardized tests. 42

SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Improved transparency and
trust enabled through network connectivity accelerates innovation and value
creation in digital native fields and traditional sectors like manufacturing. 43

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