Chapter 09 · Sustainability & AISustainability & AI

AI for Good

Meaning statusMultiple definitionsSource recordDirect document linkedWhy these are different

Definition

A global movement — anchored by the ITU's AI for Good platform — promoting the development and deployment of AI in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

References

ITUAI for Good — UN platform on AI for the Sustainable Development Goals

This source provides part of the technical or institutional basis for the definition.

United NationsGeneral Assembly Resolution A/RES/78/265 — Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development (2024)

This source supports the explanation of how the term is applied, measured or governed in practice.

Overview

What it means

AI for Good convenes governments, industry, academia and UN agencies around applications of AI to the SDGs, through a year-round programme and an annual Global Summit in Geneva. It functions as a showcase, matchmaking and policy-dialogue platform for beneficial AI.

How it is used

Projects span disaster response, health, agriculture, biodiversity and education. For practitioners it is a source of case studies and partners; for critics, a venue where benefit claims deserve the same scrutiny as any sustainability claim.

Why it matters

'AI for Good' is both a programme and a contested phrase — its value depends on whether showcased applications demonstrate measurable benefit rather than promise. The UN platform gives the phrase institutional weight; evidence gives it credibility.