The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The advent of Artificial Intelligence has ushered in a new era of technological advancement, profoundly impacting various sectors of the global economy. Let us first understand what is meant by this term “Artificial Intelligence”. The term was coined in 1955 by John McCarthy, a professor at Dartmouth who organized a famous conference on the topic. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience. The effects of AI will be magnified in the coming decade, as manufacturing, media and entertainment, retail especially e –commerce, advertising, finance, healthcare, insurance, education are impacted by this technology.
As AI continues to evolve, its potential to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals becomes increasingly significant. The UN SDGs delineate a global imperative to confront and mitigate the most urgent social, economic, and environmental dilemmas that threaten our world’s equilibrium by the year 2030. These goals are not just aspirations; they are a blueprint for collaboration, demanding innovative approaches and transformative technologies to drive progress. This era is witnessing the convergence of such transformative technology – AI – with the SDGs, heralding an unparalleled prospect to tackle intricate barriers that obstruct the path toward realizing sustainable development. As the urgency of sustainable development intensifies, AI stands out not only as a technical breakthrough but also as a powerful tool to accelerate progress across all 17 SDGs.
The SDGs encompass 17 interconnected objectives aimed at addressing global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. In essence, AI can be a double – edged sword, capable of both enabling and impeding the realization of SDGs, thereby underscoring the significance of an inclusive and rights – based approach to digital transformation.
AI can have a dual impact on the pursuit of sustainable development. Its influence is multifaceted, acting as both an enabler and an inhibitor of the SDGs. On the one hand, AI can serve as a facilitator by optimizing resource management, enhancing efficiency and providing innovative solutions for society, economy and environment. For instance, AI – driven analytics can boost energy efficiency, contributing to SDG 7(Affordable and Clean Energy) and enhance climate action efforts by improving climate modeling, aligning with SDG 13(Climate Action). Additionally, AI technologies are transforming healthcare delivery, supporting SDG 3 (Good Health and Well – being).
On the other hand, AI can also act as a hindrance if misused or abused by humans. Significant risks include high energy consumption, which contributes to climate to climate change, potential job displacement, leading to increased inequality (SDG 10), and algorithmic biases, which may reinforce social disparities. In order for AI to support sustainable development, regulatory insight and oversight is needed to ensure transparency, safety and ethical standards.
The increasing usage of AI is accompanied by growing concerns about its impact on sustainable development. The United Nations established 17 global goals, known as the SDGs to address poverty, protect the environment, and ensure prosperity for all. In the context of the society domain of those, encompassing the majority of the SDGs goals, AI has the potential to significantly aid in achieving these goals. However, to ensure that AI contributes positively to sustainable development, regulations for its transparent, safe, and ethical usage are crucial.
Leyli YUSUPOVA,
the IV year student of the Faculty of International Relations
of the Institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.