The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Literature Review

Purpose: This study aims to critically evaluate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Methodology: The research adopts a structured expert elicitation approach, utilising a consensus-based inference process to assess AI’s impact on all 17 SDGs and their associated targets. Findings: The findings reveal that AI positively contributes to 79% of the SDG targets (134 in total), mainly by overcoming development challenges through technology. However, AI also poses risks to 59 targets. Contribution: This study contributes to the emerging body of literature on AI and sustainable development by offering a comprehensive, target-level analysis of AI’s influence on the SDGs. It integrates ethical, social, and regulatory considerations into developing AI technologies to ensure alignment with global sustainability objectives. Limitations: Expert judgement’s subjectivity and AI’s evolving nature may limit analysis accuracy, requiring ongoing reassessment to address future uncertainties. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI); Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Expert Elicitation; Technology; Development Challenges; Ethics; Regulatory Considerations. Citation: Hussein, M.A. and Sid Ahmed, H.M. (2025): The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. International Journal of Innovation and Knowledge Management in Middle East and North Africa, Vol. 10, No. 1/2, pp. 23-36.