Big tech companies like Google believe AI will help them make billions in profit, so they’re putting a lot of money into it. But as they hurry to profit from AI, it makes us wonder, Will everyone benefit, or will only the rich get richer while the poor stay the same?
Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, believes we’re moving towards a better and fairer world. At the Summit of the Future on Saturday, world leaders met at the UN headquarters in New York to talk about AI and other issues.
Pichai strongly emphasized AI’s benefits, highlighting four main areas where AI could help achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals 17 goals aimed at creating peace and prosperity for people and the planet, according to the UN.
1. Getting Information in Their Own Language
Pichai mentioned that in the past year, Google has added 110 new languages to Google Translate and is aiming to support 1,000 of the most spoken languages worldwide.
2. Making Scientific Discoveries Faster
In May, Google introduced Alphafold 3, a model created by Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs that can accurately predict the structure of proteins, DNA, RNA, and ligands, marking a big step forward in drug discovery.
Since then, Google has made Alphafold available for free, and more than 2 million researchers from over 190 countries have used it, with 30% from developing nations, Pichai said. “Around the world, Alphafold is being used in research to help make crops more disease-resistant, discover new drugs like malaria vaccines, cancer treatments, and more.”
3. Reducing Climate Disasters
Pichai shared that Google’s Flood Hub system gives early warnings about climate disasters up to seven days ahead, protecting over 460 million people across 80 countries. Google’s wildfire boundary tracking system is already in use in 22 countries.
Earlier this month, Google introduced FireSat, “a global satellite system designed to spot and track wildfires as small as a classroom within 20 minutes.”
He added that AI improves these technologies by making them more accurate, faster, and able to work on a larger scale.
4. Supporting Economic Growth
Pichai stated that studies suggest AI could raise global labor productivity by 1.4 percentage points and increase global GDP by 7 points over the next decade.
Conclusion
While big tech companies like Google view AI as a way to make money, it raises concerns about fairness and access. Pichai highlights AI’s potential to improve drug discovery and address climate issues. By focusing on making these benefits available to everyone, we can ensure that all people gain from these advancements.
