Artificial Intelligence in the Service of the Impact Revolution

Published in the conference ;https://kems.upol.cz/en/knowcon/

Abstract: We are at the forefront of an exciting and transformative era, facing a unique opportunity to accelerate the movement towards a better planet. We are confronted with a complex, multidimensional crisis that compels humanity to seek for solutions. The crisis has given rise to the Impact Revolution, a paradigm shift in our economic system that seeks to harness the power of business to address global challenges. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), serve as a compass for this movement. Concurrently, the AI Revolution promises to reshape our world. This article explores AI's potential to support the Impact Revolution forward, with a particular focus on its capacity to bolster SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which serves as the essential binding agent for all other SDGs. While acknowledging the risks associated with AI expansion, the article discusses the exclusive and uncompromised role of humanity in leading the trajectory of the AI and to consider it merely as a tool.

Keywords: Impact Revolution, Sustainable Development Goals, Global collaboration, Economic Paradigm shift, SDG 17.

1.      Introduction

We are facing a complex crisis that forces humanity to pursue solutions in an effective manner. In response to this global challenge, the United Nations has created the 2030 Agenda (United Nations, 2015). This agenda provides a clear framework and vision for our collective path forward, outlining the goals and steps we need to take to achieve sustainable development and a thriving planet (Cohen, 2020).

According to the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report, we are significantly behind in achieving the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. The report highlighted that only 17 per cent of the SDG targets are on track, nearly half of the 17 SDGs are showing minimal or moderate progress, while over one-third are going in reverse since they were adopted by 193 Member States in the UN back in 2015. The urgency for accelerated action and a renewed commitment to the 2030 Agenda is emphasized by the UN. The time has arrived and with it the emergence of AI which seems to have the potential to support our goals (United Nations, 2024).

This article begins by exploring the intersection of the Impact Revolution and the AI Revolution, creating a transformative movement. We assert that AI can be a game-changer for the Impact Revolution, pushing it forward and accelerating progress. While AI has the potential to support all 17 SDGs, we focus on its critical role in advancing SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. We view SDG 17 as the essential binding agent for all other goals, acting as a powerful accelerator for their achievement. By harnessing AI to enhance global collaboration, we can amplify our efforts across all SDGs. We will then discuss how AI can support SDG17 (as an enabler or inhibiter) (Vinuesa et al., 2020) - strengthen partnerships, improve resource allocation, and foster innovative solutions that transcend traditional boundaries. And yet, it is crucial to recognize that AI is just a tool (Ozair, 2023b), and its impact depends entirely on how we choose to use it. The article then discusses the evolving dynamics between competition and partnership in the AI and Impact era, drawing inspiration from nature and systemic thinking (Capra & Luisi, 2014). In the current era, organizations are increasingly recognizing that addressing global challenges requires collective effort. This realization is fostering an environment where companies compete while simultaneously cooperating on shared objectives. In this new paradigm, competitive advantage is derived from the ability to form and optimize strategic partnerships and extract value from aggregated data. Companies shall compete on their capacity to create value through collaboration (Iansiti & Lakhani, 2020).

For this article, we consider AI as all AI technologies and capabilities, which include but is not limited to: Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems like ChatGPT, Computer Vision technologies, Generative AI, and Machine Learning algorithms. Here, we will indicate that sometimes the complete solution will involve the integration of some technologies in addition to AI (Ozair, 2023b). We invite the readers to envision a future where AI is the best tool for the most urgent mission – accelerating sustainable progress, with SDG 17 driving unprecedented global cooperation. 

2.      The Impact Revolution

The Impact Revolution represents a paradigm shift in our economic system (Cohen, 2020). This movement is characterized by the rise of impact-driven enterprises (Johnson & Schaltegger, 2020), impact investing (Juddoo, Malki, Mathew & Sivaprasad, 2023), and new paradigms for valuing business and success. At its core, the Impact paradigm seeks to utilize the power of business and finance to address pressing global challenges, as outlined in the SDGs. It reflects a growing recognition that long-term prosperity depends on creating value for all stakeholders - including society and the environment - rather than just shareholders. Increasing momentum over the last decade, the Impact Revolution is reshaping how businesses operate, how investors allocate capital, and how success is measured across various sectors (Olteanu & Fichter, 2022), driving a transition towards a sustainable and equitable global economy.

The Impact Revolution is about hope: A belief in our collective ability to create a sustainable and equitable future. It redefines the purpose of business not just for gaining financial profit but for creating three bottom lines, including social and environmental impacts (people, planet, profit). This approach suggests that companies should focus on social and environmental concerns just as they do on profits. Accordingly, new paradigms for valuing business integrate qualitative considerations with quantitative metrics to create a more comprehensive understanding of value (such as ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance criteria) (Eccles & Klimenko, 2019). It represents a new understanding that we cannot value the nature of systems, societies and economies if we try to describe them in purely quantitative terms (Capra & Henderson, 2009). We need to consider qualitative indicators.  With the 2030 Agenda the attention of organizations is shifting from quantities to qualities.

This shift in the mindset affects the way we will measure success - through indicators of health, happiness, and social and environmental impact rather than just profit. It implies that we can move towards Qualitative economic growth rather than Quantitative growth. Qualitative growth focuses on enhancing the quality of life and aims to be both ecologically sustainable and socially good (Raworth, 2018). It recognizes that while growth is essential for economic vitality, it should be sustainable and aligned with growth patterns in nature (Capra & Henderson, 2009). As we strive for a sustainable planet, drawing inspiration from nature becomes increasingly essential.

2.1. The Compass of the Impact Revolution

The 2030 Agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015 (United Nations, 2015), outline a  blueprint for global progress and cover all the economic, social, and environmental challenges humanity is faced with today. At its heart are the 17 SDGs, which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. This framework underscores the critical role of collaboration, positioning partnerships as the cornerstone for realizing the ambitious vision of the SDGs (United Nations, 2019). It represents a global consensus on the urgent need for transformative change, implementing the impact paradigm by recognizing the interconnectedness of prosperous business, a thriving society, and a healthy environment (United Nations, 2019).

Two of the SDGs main features concerning our discussion are their universal applicability - providing a common language and common objectives for nations, businesses, and organizations worldwide (United Nations, 2015); and their inherent interconnectivity - with progress in one goal catalyzing advancements in others, creating a systemic effect that amplifies overall impact (United Nations, 2019). The interconnectedness of the SDGs is remarkable as it correlates with the interconnectedness of the major problems of our time – energy, climate change, and food security. These problems cannot be understood in isolation as "They are systemic problems, which means that they are all interconnected and interdependent" (Capra & Henderson, 2009, p.11). The same idea is expressed in the UN Sustainable Development Report 2024 which asserts that in an interconnected world, no nation can tackle global challenges independently (United Nations, 2024).

Those features underscore the importance of adopting a holistic, systemic, and integrated approach to the SDGs, that leverages these interconnections. By holistic we mean the need to view the SDGs as a comprehensive framework rather than isolated goals. By systemic we mean analyzing root causes, feedback loops, and system dynamics rather than just surface symptoms. By integration, we refer to the importance of integrating efforts across different goals, sectors, and stakeholders, to reach those goals (United Nations, 2019).

2.2.   SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals

The United Nations defines the crucial purpose of SDG 17 as: "Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development" (United Nations, 2015). SDG 17 with all its targets uniquely provides the essential mindset and mechanism for achieving the entire SDGs framework. It serves as the operating system for all the goals and holds them together, reinforcing the idea of the interconnectedness of all the goals (United Nations, 2015). The SDGs can only be realized through strong global partnerships and cooperation, involving diverse players including governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations (Schwab Foundation, 2024).

The vital role of SDG17 is emphasized by the ecological perspective, as declared by Prof. Capra: "Partnership is a key characteristic of life" (Capra, 2021, p. 173).  In ecosystems, species engage in networks of mutualistic interactions, co-evolving to enhance survival and promote biodiversity. Their partnerships, from the subatomic to the cosmic scale, highlight the interconnectedness and interdependence that characterize the natural world, reinforcing the idea that collaboration is not just beneficial, but essential, for the emergence and sustenance of complex systems throughout the planet (Capra & Luisi, 2014). One of the challenges in achieving the 2030 Agenda is eliminating duplication of Efforts (United Nations, 2019). Despite worldwide investments in sustainable development, the full potential of these efforts often remains unrealized due to insufficient sharing and collaboration. As noted, "We are not sharing best practices. As a result, solutions are being invented from scratch in different parts of the world, leading to a waste of resources" (Bankhwal, Chiu, Bisht, Roberts & van Heteren, 2024, p. 23). SDG 17 directly addresses this challenge by promoting robust data sharing and global collaboration.

3.     The AI Revolution

The appearance of the AI and the stardust around it signals that something big is happening. It has already been said that AI stands as a pivotal force reshaping our world and future, heralding a new era of technological advancement and redefining entire industries. This transformative technology is pushing the boundaries of what is possible and enabling breakthroughs in any field. As AI continues to evolve, it promises to unlock new realms of innovation, productivity, and problem-solving capacity. However, risks are inherent to the AI revolution mainly its biases, ethical issues, misuse, and data security (Ozair, 2023a; Bankhwal, Bisht, Roberts & van Heteren, 2024). This complex and evolving landscape, where AI's capabilities are expanding but its limitations and potential negative impacts grows as well, emphasizes the crucial role humans must maintain in operating, supervising, and critically assessing AI systems to ensure they align with our ethical standards and 2030 Agenda. As the AI revolution progresses, we need human expertise in interpreting AI outputs, contextualizing results, and making final judgments in complex scenarios where ethical considerations are required.

As much as we consider AI as artificial, eventually, humans write the code and decide which methods and data to use. "Therefore, AI is as smart as the person(s) who coded it and the data it was trained on" (Ozair, 2023a, p.1). It underscores the need to relate to AI as a tool and not the end goal (Ozair, 2023b). It is the responsibility of humanity to ensure that the end goal is to promote the 2030 Agenda.

4.      AI for the Impact Revolution

AI's inherent capabilities position it as a powerful enabler for the Impact Revolution. Here, we wish to discuss four key contributions.

4.1. Democratize knowledge and Universal Accessibility

The Impact Revolution fundamentally aims to promote equality, a cornerstone of sustainable development as outlined in the SDGs (United Nations, 2015). In our data-driven world, access to knowledge is crucial for progress. AI tools have the potential to make high-quality, professional content accessible to everyone, transcending geographical, social, and financial barriers. This democratization of knowledge is particularly impactful for developing and underserved regions (Vinuesa et al., 2020).   

4.2.  One Platform – One Commonplace

 Agenda 2030, with its ambitious goals, explicitly emphasizes that multi-stakeholder partnerships and collaboration are essential for its successful implementation. To achieve the systemic shift required, these partnerships need a common platform that enables coordinated efforts, resource sharing, and the development of long-term trust. AI can serve as an enabler to fulfil these requirements, providing robust capabilities for data integration, and diverse source analysis, and facilitating real-time collaboration as an ideal solution to meet these needs and facilitating real-time collaboration (Vinuesa, 2020).

4.3.  AI contribution to achieving the SDGs

AI technologies have significant potential to advance all the SDGs across multiple dimensions, by providing powerful tools for problem-solving, decision-making, and scaling solutions. The three SDGs recognized as those with the highest potential to evolve through AI are: Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3) – by analyzing vast amounts of medical data, predicting disease outbreaks, and personalize treatment plans,  medical image analysis to detect diseases; Quality Education (SDG 4) – by revolutionizing personalization for the students' needs and deliver quality education to underserved populations; Climate Action (SDG 13) - analyze complex climate data to predict extreme weather events,  optimize energy systems, monitoring deforestation and more (Bankhwal, Chiu, Bisht, Roberts & van Heteren, 2024).

4.4.  AI in the service of SDG 17

AI can play a crucial role in fostering global partnerships (Vinuesa et al., 2020). It can support the efficiency of global partnerships by facilitating knowledge-sharing and collaboration, providing one commonplace for togetherness in working towards the goals. AI-powered platforms can connect diverse stakeholders across the globe and overcome language barriers. It can support optimizing resource allocation by analyzing complex datasets and providing real-time insights into SDG progress.  AI platforms can facilitate collaboration among companies from diverse sectors by identifying potential synergies, matching complementary capabilities, and suggesting innovative partnership models. By analyzing data from multiple sources, AI can predict potential disruptions and optimize inventory management (Bankhwal, Chiu, Bisht, Roberts & van Heteren, 2024).

5.      Partnership Vs. Competition in the era of the AI and the Impact Revolution

Given the focus on global partnerships, the competitive business landscape is transforming. This evolution is characterized by a shift towards more collaborative business models. The emerging paradigm fosters a collaborative-competitive environment, where organizations simultaneously cooperate and compete with each other. Organizations will increasingly form partnerships and cross-sector alliances, to address the complexity of the challenges in the transition into a sustainable business activity while developing their unique value proposition. The phenomenon of simultaneous competition and cooperation among organizations, known as “coopetition”, is not novel in the business landscape (Brandenburger & Nalebuff, 1996). Finally, the advent of AI together with the urgency to act and the transformation in the mindset has the potential to make "Partnering as the new normal" (United Nations, 2019, p. 12).

The traditional economic paradigm that focuses only on competition is giving way to an approach that emphasizes strategic partnerships and collaborative ecosystems. When AI makes collaborations easier, organizations will increasingly recognize that competitive advantage lies in excelling at forming and optimizing partnerships. This shift does not eliminate competition; rather, it reframes it within a collaborative context. The key challenge becomes creating value through cooperation while still competing on how that value is captured and utilized by each partner (Brandenburger & Nalebuff, 1996; Iansiti & Lakhani, 2020). Competition within a collaborative context is a model aligned with Prof. Capra's observations on nature's roles: "Because of the finiteness of the ecosystem's resources, there is competition at all levels. But this competition takes place within a larger framework of cooperation and partnership" (2021, p.157). In this evolving collaborative landscape, the most successful organizations will be those that can effectively harness AI to form and maintain strategic partnerships, enhance their innovation capabilities, and balance the complex interplay between competition and collaboration.

6.      Conclusion

We are in the midst of a global transformative movement towards a sustainable and equitable future, presented by the 2030 Agenda. However, progress is dramatically slower than anticipated, necessitating a significant acceleration of our efforts. The article asserts that the intersection of the Impact Revolution and AI technologies presents a transformative opportunity to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda. AI emerges as a powerful enabler for SDG 17, fostering global partnerships and collaboration essential for achieving all SDGs. This synergy has the potential to amplify our collective efforts and drive innovative solutions across sectors. However, the effectiveness of AI in service of the Impact Revolution depends on our ability to use it responsibly and ethically. As we stand at this critical juncture, we must recognize that AI is merely a tool—whose trajectory we must consciously shape. The onus is on us to leverage AI's capabilities wisely, fostering a new paradigm of collaboration that transcends traditional boundaries and accelerates our journey toward a sustainable and equitable world.

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*Corresponding author’s email: Iris@EffectiveIR.co.il