Reliable Artificial Intelligence: The 18th Sustainable Development Goal

Artificial intelligence (AI) brings countless benefits to humanity, but it carries serious risks and has profoundly disruptive ethical implications. In scientific research, generative artificial intelligence is already changing the way science is done, and its ability to increase the pace and quality of results is undeniable. In medicine, AI will be disruptive regarding the doctor-patient relationship given that generative AI systems allow the collection of information obtained from anamnesis, and thus suggest differential diagnoses and recommendations for treatment. Also, the financial sector, the judiciary, the creative arts, and environmental policies are deeply influenced by AI. The European Union, aware of the enormous complexity of AI, approved the Artificial Intelligence Act. This example of AI regulation may not be followed by other countries, so regarding global governance, a possible solution to regulate AI internationally would be for the UN to consider Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). AI will, directly or indirectly, radically alter life on Earth, meaning that all the seventeen current SDGs will be affected by artificial intelligence. Therefore, considering Trustworthy AI as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal might be a huge step for humanity and a fundamental legacy for future generations