Regulating artificial‐intelligence applications to achieve the sustainable development goals

This perspective illustrates some of the AI applications that can accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlights some of the considerations that could hinder the efforts towards them.

Artificial intelligence is producing a revolution with increasing impacts on the people, planet, and prosperity. This perspective illustrates some of the AI applications that can accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlights some of the considerations that could hinder the efforts towards them. In this context, we strongly support the development of an 18th SDG on digital technologies. This emphasizes the importance of establishing standard AI guidelines and regulations for the beneficial applications of AI. Such regulations should focus on concrete applications of AI, rather than generally on AI technology, to facilitate both AI development and enforce- ability of legal implications.

Authors: Hoe-Han Goh and Ricardo Vinuesa