AI at the crossroads: Balancing potential with responsibility

Artificial intelligence (AI) stands at a crossroads, offering solutions to the most pressing humanitarian challenges, while posing new threats through lack of control and accountability.

Proving that it can be a force for good on a global scale is AI’s biggest test, and it may take a major United Nations shake-up to pave the way for this to happen.

As the UN Summit of the Future in New York begins on September 22, the global community confronts a harsh reality: none of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are currently on track to be achieved by 2030.

According to the latest Sustainable Development Report, only 16 per cent of the targets are advancing, while 600 million people are still expected to suffer from hunger by 2030.

Despite the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on industry and daily life, its true success will be judged by its ability to address the world’s most urgent needs.

Unquestionably, AI has the potential to accelerate progress in critical areas like food security, healthcare and poverty alleviation. Yet a lack of global oversight threatens its beneficial impact.

Global collaboration, greater spending on research, and ethical guidelines are vital to unlock AI’s potential, an important area for discussion at the summit, which will prioritise UN reform to revitalise the SDGs.

A PwC study says AI could contribute up to $15.7 tn to the global economy in 2030, more than the current output of China and India combined. But, at a time when AI is changing daily life – from personalised shopping and smart home devices to self-driving cars and medical diagnostics – there are serious concerns about its misuse.

The Sustainable Development Report highlights the world’s growing awareness that advances in AI and other technologies lack substantial regulatory oversight at both national and global levels.

This absence of transparency and accountability poses significant dangers, particularly when AI is misused or undermines sustainable development.

The report calls for global and regional centres to ensure universal access to essential technologies and urges support for universities, particularly in Africa, to train the next generation of scientists and engineers. This aligns with the summit’s focus on public investment in research where the private sector falls short.

Despite AI’s capacity to drive transformative change across all 17 SDGs, as emphasised by a recent McKinsey study, its full potential, especially in humanitarian areas, remains largely untapped.

The McKinsey report, AI for Social Good, says the current failure of the SDGs, in real terms, means that 2.2 billion people lack access to safe water and hygiene, and 3.5 billion are without safely managed sanitation.

While AI is not a magic bullet, the study says it is a powerful enabler that can accelerate progress on global challenges. For instance, AI could play a crucial role in addressing poverty (SDG 1) by using machine learning to direct cash aid to those most in need, or providing alternative credit scores to financially excluded individuals.

In the fight against hunger (SDG 2), AI can help develop new crops, select crop regions to minimise risks, and provide early warnings for nutrition crises.

But AI’s potential is hindered by data scarcity, talent shortages, and organisational challenges, especially in developing countries. Collaboration is key to overcoming these obstacles.

The global community must take responsibility to ensure that AI development aligns with the SDGs. This is not just about advancing technology, but about committing to ethical practices, transparency, and international collaboration.

AI has tremendous scope

If we address the risks and obstacles surrounding AI and invest in scalable, AI-driven solutions, we can unlock its potential to address the world’s most urgent humanitarian needs. Failure to do so could mean missing a critical opportunity to make a real difference to millions of lives.

AI’s applications are vast and diverse, with the potential to revolutionise numerous fields. It can model proteins and screen drugs, optimise supply chains, and provide early warnings for natural disasters.

In practical terms, this means AI can accelerate medical breakthroughs, enhance food distribution, and save lives by predicting and mitigating the effects of natural calamities. Its impact could be transformative, offering solutions that directly improve global health, safety, and wellbeing.

For example, AI-powered systems are significantly lowering maternal mortality rates in countries like Kenya and India by offering essential information and support to expectant mothers and saving lives. Their value is magnified in India, where more than 1.3 million women have died in pregnancy or childbirth over the past two decades, mostly from preventable causes

In line with SDG 4, which aims to provide quality education for everyone, AI is creating more inclusive learning platforms for young children, teenagers, adults, and people with disabilities.

Putting all this into practice faces obstacles, however, such as limited internet access in low-income countries, where only one in 20 school-age children are online at home.

Urgent action is needed to address these challenges. The rise of generative AI offers fresh hope, opening new doors for social entrepreneurs, the public and private sector innovators, but responsible use and risk management are paramount.

By harnessing AI’s potential, we can accelerate progress for the SDGs and create a better future for all.

The writer is the director and co-founder of Scalo Technologies.