As we're all aware, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim for ambitious outcomes such as ending poverty, protecting the planet, and providing opportunities for all to live peaceful and prosperous lives by 2030.

It's 2023 already. Only seven years from the proposed deadline and the UN itself has recognized that the 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without a people-focused, science-based digital revolution.

AI for achieving the SDGs 🌐

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) can help governments and organizations tackle complex challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. However, as AI technology becomes more widespread, it is important to ensure that its development aligns with human rights and sustainability principles.

The data revolution has created unprecedented opportunities for the use of AI. With vast amounts of available data, governments can collect, process, and analyze information to inform policy decisions, improve public services, and monitor progress toward the SDGs.

AI technology can also help address humanitarian emergencies by enabling data-sharing models for public purposes. For example, it can aid in identifying and responding to crises more efficiently, reducing harm from disasters and conflicts. Nonetheless, AI deployment in these contexts should consider the needs and rights of affected populations to avoid reinforcing biases or exacerbating existing inequalities.

In the process of developing AI technologies, it is important to pay attention to the digital divide. Some countries and communities lack the necessary infrastructure and resources to effectively use new technologies, resulting in a gap that must be addressed. To avoid further widening this gap, collaboration is necessary to develop strategies that provide access to AI technologies for everyone.

Inclusiveness is crucial for a human rights-based AI approach. AI should empower individuals and society without reinforcing power structures, discrimination, bias, or inequality. To achieve this, AI systems should be transparent, accountable, and aligned with human rights, social justice, and equality values and principles.

To ensure that AI aligns with human rights and contributes to achieving the SDGs, it is crucial to create AI tools and systems that respect cultural sensitivities and promote diversity and inclusion in the research, design, and development processes. All stakeholders, including civil society, governments, and the private sector from both the Global North and South, should participate in the discussion. A multi-stakeholder approach is the only way AI can reach its 2030 Agenda goals.

Let's check some numbers 📈📉

An article published in Nature Magazine on this exact topic found that AI can serve as an enabler for almost all SDGs. This is generally achieved through technological improvements, which can help overcome certain present limitations. For research purposes, the authors have divided the 17 goals into three categories according to the three pillars of sustainable development. Check out some of their findings:

• Society SDGs: AI-based technologies can positively impact many of the targets within this group of SDGs, including supporting the provision of food, health, water, and energy services and enabling low-carbon systems and smart cities. However, some targets may be negatively impacted, such as those related to cultural values and wealth, and the lack of diversity in datasets and the AI workforce may exacerbate existing biases. Additionally, the high energy demand and carbon footprint of large computing centers used for AI research and product design must be addressed for sustainable development.

• Economy SDGs: The use of AI can positively impact the achievement of SDGs within the Economy group, but there are also potential negative impacts, such as increased inequalities. AI can exacerbate inequality within nations and transfer revenue from workers to investors. Although the identified linkages in the Economy group are mainly positive, trade-offs cannot be neglected. There is an underlying risk of inherent bias in data when using AI to evaluate and predict human behavior, which can lead to discriminatory challenges in automated processes.

• Environment SDGs: AI can act as an enabler for 93% of the 25 targets related to the Environment group of SDGs, including climate action, life below water, and life on land. AI can help combat climate change, improve the health of ecosystems, and identify desertification trends. However, high-energy needs for AI applications and the potential for over-exploitation of resources are concerns that need to be addressed.

We definitely believe AI can significantly contribute to the SDGs, but it needs to be created and applied differently. To ensure alignment with human rights and the 2030 Agenda goals, a multi-stakeholder approach is essential, involving civil society, governments, academia, and the private sector from both the Global North and South. Ethical and sustainable development and use of these technologies must be human-centered, inclusive, and culturally sensitive to protect human rights and leave no one behind.

If you want to dive deep into this week's conversation, here are three good sources for that:

• Artificial Intelligence & Human Rights: Opportunities & Risks

• An Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Europe Based on Human Rights

• A world that counts: mobilizing the data revolution for sustainable development

Worth watching 📼

Aarathi Krishnan is a tech and human rights advocate, decolonial feminist, and Senior Advisor on Strategic Foresight at UNDP.

In this TED Talk, she discusses the need for ethical guidelines when digitizing humanitarian aid and developing and deploying technology for the good. She shares her experience working with refugee populations and highlights the potential benefits and risks of using tech innovations to deliver aid.

Check it out!

tech4rights 🤖

Each week, we bring good practice examples of how technology is being used to promote human rights work around the world.

Indigenous AI is a collaborative project between indigenous organizations, researchers, and technologists that uses AI and technology to empower Indigenous peoples and communities.

It provides resources such as information, case studies, research papers, and tools for building AI applications that respect Indigenous values and rights.

It aims to promote the development of AI and technology that is informed by indigenous knowledge and perspectives while acknowledging their positive and negative impacts.

AI toolbox 🛠️

Here we make recommendations about AI tools that can help to improve your productivity in everyday office work.

Grammarly is an online writing tool that uses AI to help check grammar, spelling, and punctuation, suggests ways to enhance style and tone, helps with citations, and checks for plagiarism. Writers of all levels use it to ensure clear, concise, error-free writing.

Also, the company states it's committed to responsible AI development, with four key pillars: Ethical AI Principles, Transparent AI, Fair AI, and Secure AI.

We'd REALLY love your feedback! 💬

Share your comments and ideas with us on Twitter or hit us by email.

See you next week!