IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ibn/jsd123/v17y2024i5p30.html

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Author

Listed:
  • Bongs Lainjo

Abstract

The United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to tackle poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation and foster economic growth. This study investigates the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in achieving these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Analyzing data from 44 sources, the research highlights AI's capacity to address critical challenges in healthcare, education, environmental management, economic growth, and gender equality. AI applications in renewable energy, waste management, disease detection, personalized education, and gender equality are examined. The study also emphasizes the ethical issues associated with AI, such as algorithmic bias, data privacy breaches, and job displacement. To fully leverage AI's potential, it is essential to develop intelligent automation governance systems, foster interdisciplinary research combining AI and sustainability, and promote public-private partnerships. Additionally, enhancing public AI literacy and implementing eco-friendly AI policies are crucial. The study advocates for a holistic ethical framework to maximize AI's benefits while mitigating risks, promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration, and establishing ethical AI standards. By doing so, AI can significantly contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future.

Suggested Citation

  • Bongs Lainjo, 2024. "The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," Journal of Sustainable Development, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 17(5), pages 1-30, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:ibn:jsd123:v:17:y:2024:i:5:p:30
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/download/0/0/50513/54716
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/view/0/50513
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Braganza, Ashley & Chen, Weifeng & Canhoto, Ana & Sap, Serap, 2021. "Productive employment and decent work: The impact of AI adoption on psychological contracts, job engagement and employee trust," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 485-494.
    2. Moyer, Jonathan D. & Hedden, Steve, 2020. "Are we on the right path to achieve the sustainable development goals?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andriy Stavytskyy & Andrii Dligach, 2025. "The Global Economic Model in Crisis: An Analysis of the Obstacles to the Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-21, September.
    2. Valtonen, Alena & Saunila, Minna & Ukko, Juhani & Treves, Luke & Ritala, Paavo, 2025. "AI and employee wellbeing in the workplace: An empirical study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    3. Bai, Xiaofei & Zhang, Hao & Ma, Zengguang & Qi, Chenyue, 2025. "Pro-Self or Pro-Social? how AI and human job replacement elicit compensatory responses," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    4. Shamim, Saqib & Yang, Yumei & Ul Zia, Najam & Khan, Zaheer & Shariq, Syed Muhammad, 2023. "Mechanisms of cognitive trust development in artificial intelligence among front line employees: An empirical examination from a developing economy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    5. Barry B. Hughes, 2025. "Analysis of Integrated Global SDG Pursuit: Challenges and Progress," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-27, July.
    6. Jingwen Huo & Jing Meng & Heran Zheng & Priti Parikh & Dabo Guan, 2023. "Achieving decent living standards in emerging economies challenges national mitigation goals for CO2 emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Miquel Salvador & David Sancho, 2021. "The Role of Local Government in the Drive for Sustainable Development Public Policies. An Analytical Framework Based on Institutional Capacities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, May.
    8. Ritika Mahajan & Satish Kumar & Weng Marc Lim & Monica Sareen, 2024. "The role of business and management in driving the sustainable development goals (SDGs): Current insights and future directions from a systematic review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4493-4529, July.
    9. Jonathan D. Moyer & Audrey Pirzadeh & Mohammod Irfan & José Solórzano & Barbara Stone & Yutang Xiong & Taylor Hanna & Barry B. Hughes, 2023. "How many people will live in poverty because of climate change? A macro-level projection analysis to 2070," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(10), pages 1-18, October.
    10. Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez & Stephanie Rodriguez-Besteiro & Juan José Cabello-Eras & Alvaro Bustamante-Sanchez & Eduardo Navarro-Jiménez & Macarena Donoso-Gonzalez & Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco & J, 2022. "Sustainable Development Goals in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-26, June.
    11. Rudolf, Marco & Schmidt, Mario, 2025. "Efficiency, sufficiency and consistency in sustainable development: Reassessing strategies for reaching overarching goals," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    12. Taylor Hanna & Barry B. Hughes & Mohammod T. Irfan & David K. Bohl & José Solórzano & Babatunde Abidoye & Laurel Patterson & Jonathan D. Moyer, 2024. "Sustainable Development Goal Attainment in the Wake of COVID-19: Simulating an Ambitious Policy Push," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-17, April.
    13. Qin, Meng & Wan, Yue & Dou, Junyi & Su, Chi Wei, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence: Intensifying or mitigating unemployment?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. Jefferson B. Torres & Princess Sarah N. Balan & Mhie B. Daniel & Venus S. Velasco & Maria Kristina Vicente, 2025. "A Phenomenological Study on the Lived Experiences of Student-Mothers in Higher Education Institution," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(9), pages 6543-6558, September.
    15. Gonçalo Rodrigues Brás & Ana Isabel Lillebø & Helena Vieira, 2025. "Holding Sustainability Promises in Politics: Trends in Ecosystem and Resource Management in Electoral Party Manifestos," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-38, July.
    16. Wei Li & Dexiang Wu, 2025. "Sustainability through business model innovation and climate finance in developing countries," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    17. Bavaresco, Rodrigo Simon & Nesi, Luan Carlos & Victória Barbosa, Jorge Luis & Antunes, Rodolfo Stoffel & da Rosa Righi, Rodrigo & da Costa, Cristiano André & Vanzin, Mariangela & Dornelles, Daniel & J, 2023. "Machine learning-based automation of accounting services: An exploratory case study," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    18. Sellare, Jorge, 2020. "New insights on the use of the Fairtrade social premium," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 304709, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    19. Jonathan D Moyer & Willem Verhagen & Brendan Mapes & David K Bohl & Yutang Xiong & Vivian Yang & Kaylin McNeil & José Solórzano & Mohammod Irfan & Cade Carter & Barry B Hughes, 2022. "How many people is the COVID-19 pandemic pushing into poverty? A long-term forecast to 2050 with alternative scenarios," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(7), pages 1-21, July.
    20. Diah Chaerani & Adibah Shuib & Tomy Perdana & Athaya Zahrani Irmansyah, 2023. "Systematic Literature Review on Robust Optimization in Solving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-18, March.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R00 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General - - - General
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ibn:jsd123:v:17:y:2024:i:5:p:30. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Canadian Center of Science and Education (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cepflch.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.