We live in a rapidly evolving world. Innovation is occurring at an exponential rate as digital technologies permeate through society, redefining how people live, work and interact. In the midst of what has been called the fourth industrial revolution, humanity has developed sophisticated new tools and methods to address some of the world’s most pressing issues. At the forefront of this transformation is artificial intelligence.
If harnessed correctly, AI can be a powerful force for good. We have already seen how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, AI technology has been used around the world for critical functions such as virus detection and diagnosis, contact tracing, recovery monitoring and the provision of essential services during lockdowns.
AI is also being leveraged in the fight against climate change. For example, AI algorithms can accurately predict the power output from wind turbines in advance of actual generation, using weather forecast data and historical turbine data. This reduces the unpredictability of wind power, making it more attractive as a source of renewable energy.
Innovative solutions such as these will be critical if the world is to halt global warming and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
At the same time, however, we must be cautious. Technologies have enormous potential for positive change, but can also reinforce and magnify existing fault lines and deepen inequalities.
AI, for example, is only as objective as the algorithms that power it, and those algorithms are written by people. As such, human biases can potentially find their way into AI technologies and perpetuate prejudice, discrimination and misinformation. In addition, the effectiveness of an AI system relies on data. This can incentivize data abuse, and infringements on individual privacy.
Without proper governance, these harmful aspects of AI technologies will have negative, real-world consequences on people’s lives.
While there are currently over 160 organizational, national and international sets of AI ethics and governance principles worldwide, there is no common framework or standards bringing these separate initiatives together.
As the application of AI becomes more omnipresent, international cooperation will be essential to build consensus on common approaches to AI governance that are ethical and fair, in order to safeguard against abuse and misuse.
Currently, the majority of AI innovation is concentrated in specific regions around the world. According to “Global Artificial Intelligence Study: Exploiting the AI Revolution” released by PricewaterhouseCoopers in July 2019, China and North America could represent as much as 70 percent of AI’s global economic impact by 2030.
Meanwhile, apart from China, most developing countries are largely absent in many prominent forums driving the conversation on AI, despite there being significant opportunities for AI to benefit their economic and social development. In order for AI to support human development, it must be inclusive.
This is also true within countries. In many cases, fully harnessing the opportunities of AI requires advanced skills and expertise, which only a small portion of the population possesses or has access to. Investments in both digital infrastructure and education are needed to ensure that more people can benefit from technological innovations.
Enhanced capabilities are becoming necessary to not just engage in the new world of work, but also to simply access basic services, which are being increasingly digitized. If the current imbalance remains unaddressed, the digital divide will continue to widen, potentially leading to the rise of a “digital underclass” that gets left behind.
In order to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation at the forefront of technology, policymakers must be forward-looking. We cannot simply address the problems of today; we must also anticipate the challenges of tomorrow.
The United Nations Development Programme recognizes that digitization is a key enabler of development and it is therefore a core component of its strategic plan.
It aims to work across countries, to support a holistic, multistakeholder approach to digital transformation. It is committed to bringing together governments, the private sector, academia, and international organizations, striving to be both convener and adviser in helping to build inclusive approaches to AI governance that are aligned with the SDGs.
Joint insights, shared knowledge and mutual learning can help shape a global consensus that works to harness the great potential of AI, safeguard against risks and direct future AI development around the world on a sustainable, equitable and inclusive path.
Together, we can channel AI technologies toward a more sustainable future for all.
The author is the representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.