Opinion Paper on the Role of AI in the Advancement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been widely successful and effective in optimizing tasks across various fields such as smart agriculture, healthcare, and education, positioning it as a key enabler in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations. Understanding the perspectives of industry and academic experts in domains such as AI, data science, biotechnology, natural and physical sciences, can provide valuable multidisciplinary insights into the responsible usage of AI. This study analyses 12 opinion essays written by 13 experts from academia and industry, focusing on the opportunities and challenges provided by AI in the advancement of SDGs. These experts provide their unique perspectives shaped by their nationality, professional role, gender, and domain of expertise. The analysis highlights several strong application areas of AI, including enhancing diagnostic accuracy, monitoring cattle and crops to reduce wastage, ensuring accessibility of education, and enhancing gender equality. However, the experts also caution against potential risks and ethical implications associated with AI, such as the risk of algorithmic bias, concerns with over reliance, and inequitable access to AI enabled tools.