GEN AI FOR THE GLOBAL GOALSThe Private Sector’s Guide to Accelerating Sustainable Development with TechnologyThe 2030 Agenda — our global blueprint for peace and prosperity on a healthy planet — is in deep trouble. AI could help to turn that around. It could supercharge climate action and efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. But all this depends on AI technologies being harnessed responsibly and made accessible to all." António GuterresUnited Nations Secretary-General2 United Nations Global Compact | Accenture Gen AI for the Global Goals 3CONTENTSWelcome 6 Introduction 11 What is Gen AI? 15 Why is Gen AI exciting for business? 18 What’s the catch? 21 The private sector’s leading role in sustainable development 22 Using Gen AI to advance the Sustainable Development Goals 25Operational Efficiency 28 Sustainable Value Chain 30Innovation 32 Communication and Reporting 34 Mitigating the sustainable development risks of Gen AI 37 Looking Forward 47Resource 1: Playbook for implementing Gen AI responsibly 54 Resource 2: Using Gen AI to support your sustainable development ambition 56 Resource 3: The role of each business function 58 Resource 4: Broader ecosystem advocacy recommendations 60 Appendix 65 References 69Acknowledgments 724 United Nations Global Compact | Accenture HUMAN RIGHTS 1. Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and2. make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. LABOUR3. Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;4. the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;5. the effective abolition of child labour; and6. the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. ENVIRONMENT7. Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;8. undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and9. encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. ANTI-CORRUPTION10. Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.The Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact are derived from: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention Against CorruptionTHE TEN PRINCIPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACTFOREWORD: UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACTThe world is wavering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Global Goals). Increased geopolitical tensions, inequalities, and climate change impacts have hindered progress and added to the complexity of the sustainability landscape. Gen AI for the Global Goals outlines the private sector’s opportunity to use Generative AI (Gen AI) as an accelerator for SDG action. The private sector’s access to capital, wealth of data, and ability to act quickly across geographies creates a unique opportunity for impact. Yet, the private sector must pay special attention to the unique risks of an explosion in Gen AI usage. Indeed, the UN Secretary General’s high-level multistakeholder advisory body on AI interim report notes that AI applications could potentially be a game changer in helping to meet the SDGs, but also that AI poses risks to cyber security, privacy, and cultural diversity. To this end, several global initiatives are underway that aim to provide the necessary frameworks for responsible investment, development and deployment of AI models, including Gen AI. Collectively, these initiatives call on stakeholders across the AI value chain to adhere to long-standing, internationally agreed principles and standards for responsible, rights-based conduct. For nearly 25 years, the UN Global Compact has been the call to companies to align their operations and strategies with its Ten Principles covering human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. Anchored in international standards, the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact are the guiding framework to ensure core business models are principles-based, and they can also be applied to guide companies towards responsible AI models as the private sector makes this technological leap. This report acknowledges and complements existing UN-level efforts towards in-depth analysis and recommendations on the governance of AI for humanity and the Global Digital Compact. Drawn from a multi-stakeholder consultative process, the report highlights examples of tangible actions being taken today to help private sector leaders consider how they can support the advancement of the SDGs with Gen AI in their strategies and operations. In compiling this report, we are grateful to many colleagues at the UN Global Compact and our collaborators at Accenture for their insights ...
