Beyond Innovation: Artificial Intelligence as Infrastructure for the United Nations Sustainable Goals

BEYOND INNOVATION: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. This working paper advances the argument that Artificial Intelligence must be reconceptualized as foundational digital infrastructure—on par with energy, transport, and internet—to achieve the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Rather than framing AI solely as a set of applications, this paper examines AI as an enabling layer that determines the speed, scale, and equity of SDG implementation. Drawing on evidence from agriculture, healthcare, education, climate action, and governance, it demonstrates how gaps in data, compute, talent, and policy infrastructure constrain AI’s impact, particularly in the Global South.The paper proposes a systems-level framework for national AI infrastructure, illustrated through the CropiDex model for agriculture, and outlines pathways for ethical, inclusive, and sovereign deployment. It identifies three critical transitions required: from pilots to platforms, from tools to ecosystems, and from efficiency to equity.Finally, the paper provides concrete recommendations for researchers, governments, and multilateral institutions to integrate AI infrastructure into national development planning, financing, and governance to ensure AI contributes directly to poverty reduction, climate resilience, and human development. keywords : Artificial Intelligence, Sustainable Development Goals, Digital Public Infrastructure, AI Policy, India, Global South, Data Governance, Inclusive Innovation , AI in Agriculture , 2030 Agenda ,tech4good