Why AI for Good matters now more than ever

We are at a decisive moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence. What began as a narrow set of systems designed to classify data or generate language has rapidly expanded into something far more profound. AI is no longer confined to screens or servers. We are entering an era of integrated intelligence, where AI systems perceive, reason, and act across digital, physical, biological and even extraterrestrial environments. From multimodal foundation models and autonomous agents, to embodied robotics, brain-computer interfaces, and space-based AI systems operating beyond Earth, the scope and impact of AI are expanding at an unprecedented speed.

This transformation is precisely why the AI for Good Global Summit is more vital today than at any point since its creation. This year's summit is taking place from July 7-10 at Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland. Convened by the International Telecommunication Union in partnership with over 50 United Nations agencies and co-hosted with the government of Switzerland, AI for Good was founded on a simple but powerful premise: the most advanced technologies must be developed and deployed in the service of humanity, not in isolation from it. As AI becomes more embedded in the fabric of society, that principle is no longer aspirational; it is essential.

The conversation around AI has shifted. The early focus on large language models captured public imagination, but today the frontier lies elsewhere, in systems that see, hear, move, decide, and increasingly collaborate with humans. AI is migrating from centralized cloud infrastructure to the edge: into factories, hospitals, homes, vehicles and satellites. It is becoming embodied in machines, adaptive in real time, and capable of autonomous action. These developments unlock extraordinary opportunities for solving global challenges but they also introduce complex risks that no single actor can manage alone.

Consider brain-computer interfaces. Non-invasive BCI technologies are already enabling people with paralysis or neurodegenerative conditions to communicate by translating neural signals directly into text or speech. For individuals who have lost the ability to speak or move, this is the restoration of agency and dignity. Yet these same technologies raise profound questions: Who owns neural data? How is consent ensured? How do we prevent misuse or exclusion? These are not questions that engineers can answer in isolation. They require collaboration across medicine, ethics, regulation, industry, and civil society, precisely the ecosystem that AI for Good convenes.

The same is true for robotics, where AI is moving from controlled environments into unpredictable, human-centered contexts. At previous AI for Good summits, we have seen robotics systems designed for disaster response, capable of navigating collapsed structures after earthquakes, as well as assistive robots supporting healthcare workers and aging populations. These technologies extend human capability in environments that are dangerous, remote, or resource-constrained. But they also demand careful governance: How do we ensure safety, accountability and trust when machines operate alongside humans? How do we design systems that augment, rather than replace, human care and judgment?

Beyond Earth, AI is becoming a critical tool for space-based computing. Satellites equipped with onboard AI can process vast volumes of data in orbit, enabling real-time analysis of climate patterns, deforestation, ocean health and disaster events. This shift from raw data transmission to intelligent decision-making in space allows for faster and more targeted responses to global challenges. Yet it also underscores the need for international coordination, interoperability standards and shared norms, especially as space becomes more crowded and contested.

At the same time, we are witnessing the early convergence of AI and quantum technologies. While quantum computing is still emerging, its potential to accelerate optimization, simulation and complex problem-solving could profoundly enhance AI capabilities — particularly in areas such as climate modelling, materials science and global logistics. Importantly, this relationship is bidirectional: AI is already being used to stabilize quantum systems, manage error correction and discover new quantum algorithms. This convergence illustrates a critical lesson: governance and collaboration must begin before these technologies scale, not after.

To address these challenges, international standards play a foundational role. As the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies, ITU is advancing a comprehensive suite of AI and emerging technology standards, including those at the intersection of AI and quantum technologies. These standards, some already published and others under active development, are designed to support global interoperability while ensuring that critical considerations such as sustainability, ethics, safety, transparency and human-centered design are embedded by design. Importantly, ITU's open, consensus-based standards development process ensures that voices from developing countries are not an afterthought, but a core part of shaping the technical foundations of integrated intelligence. Through inclusive participation, capacity-building, and collaboration across regions, ITU and AI for Good work to ensure that the benefits of AI and quantum innovation are globally distributed and aligned with the needs and priorities of all countries, not only those at the technological frontier.

This is where the AI for Good model becomes indispensable. This summit is not a traditional conference; it is a platform for action. It brings together governments, innovators, UN agencies, standards bodies, academia, civil society and youth to bridge the gap between technological capability and real-world needs. It focuses on three foundational pillars: solutions and knowledge; skills and capacity; standards and policy. Through initiatives such as the AI and Space Computing Challenge, an international competition to advance space intelligence-enabled innovative solutions for food production, water quality, and resilient urban environments, which is run with support from the renowned scientific research institution, Zhejiang Lab, we drive innovative, impact-driven solutions that contribute to global progress. Through our AI Skills Coalition, AI for Good works to close global skills gaps. Through collaboration with international standards organizations, it helps ensure AI systems are safe, interoperable, and trustworthy. Through dedicated policy dialogues, it turns high-level principles into practical frameworks that can be implemented worldwide.

Why does this matter now? Because the pace of AI development is outstripping the pace of coordination. The risks of fragmentation between countries, sectors and communities are growing. Without shared frameworks, the benefits of AI could become concentrated, while its harms are distributed. Conversely, with inclusive collaboration, AI can become one of the most powerful tools humanity has ever created to advance health, sustainability, resilience, and opportunity.

The world is not merely debating the future of AI, it is actively building it. The question is whether we build it together, guided by shared values and collective responsibility. The AI for Good Global Summit exists to ensure that we do. In this age of integrated intelligence, collaboration is no longer optional. It is the condition for progress.

The author is chief of Strategic Engagement, International Telecommunication Union.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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