Artificial intelligence can improve lives and protect the planet. This is the finding of the study “AI for social good: Improving lives and protecting the planet” by McKinsey & Company, which analyses how the application of artificial intelligence can contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. AI progress has accelerated strongly over the past two years. The potential impact of AI spans all sectors and could produce positive social change. AI is already being used to advance all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the American firm’s study identified 600 use cases. The SDGs comprise 17 goals and 169 targets aimed at improving lives around the world and protecting the planet. The United Nations update on progress towards the SDGs for 2023 indicates that the planet is on track to achieve only 15% of the SDG targets. In real terms, this means that today 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation; 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation services; approximately 3.3 billion live in environments highly vulnerable to climate change; and 750 million suffer from hunger.
AREAS OF APPLICATION
Although AI will have an impact on all SDGs, the experts interviewed believe that AI has particularly high potential to make a difference in five areas: Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4), Climate Action (SDG 13), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11). 60% of non-profit AI implementations for social good have focused precisely on these areas. AI applications for Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Life on Land (SDG 15) and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16) have many use cases, while Quality Education (SDG 4), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) and Climate Action (SDG 13) have fewer. Furthermore, approximately 40% of private capital investments in the 20,000 AI companies analysed contributed directly or indirectly to at least one of the 17 SDG thematic areas.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISPARITIES
The analysis of the location of grant beneficiaries, carried out on a predominantly US-based foundation database, revealed that, from 2018 to 2023, only 10% of grants destined for AI initiatives addressing one or more SDGs went to organisations based in low- or middle-income countries. Although organisations may have an impact beyond the countries in which they are based, 60% of the experts who responded to our survey agree that AI efforts today are not sufficiently focused on low-income countries (compared to higher-income or developed countries), where the need and impact on the SDGs may be greater.
CHALLENGES AND RISKS OF SCALING AI FOR SOCIAL GOOD
The challenges related to scaling AI for social good initiatives are persistent and difficult. 72% of those who responded to the expert survey observed that most efforts to deploy AI for social good have so far focused on research and innovation rather than adoption and scalability. 55% of grants for AI research and deployment in the SDGs are equal to or less than $250,000, which is consistent with a focus on targeted research or small-scale deployment, rather than large-scale expansion. Beyond funding, the biggest obstacles to AI scalability continue to be data availability, accessibility and quality; AI talent availability and accessibility; and organisational receptiveness and change management.
ACCELERATING THE SPREAD OF AI FOR SOCIAL GOOD
Scientific discoveries have increased the effectiveness of AI in recognition, prediction and pattern creation. These advances have coincided with a rapidly growing number of successful AI deployments, but there are still challenges to address in scaling their use to tackle the SDGs. Realising this potential will require stakeholders to collaborate on data availability, accessibility and quality, on more open or scalable AI applications and models across all geographic areas of the world, and on reaching talent.
