UN Activities on AI Report 2024

The "United Nations Activities on Artificial Intelligence (AI) 2024" report, prepared by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with 52 other UN entities, offers a thorough overview of the UN’s efforts to responsibly use and produce AI.

According to the report, the number of UN AI projects has grown dramatically, from 406 in 2023 to 729 in 2024, representing a 79% increase.

The report has a strong emphasis on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), finding that 84% of projects linked their work to specific SDGs, with most addressing more than one goal. The top five SDGs addressed are: 

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals

The report notes a continued need for more targeted action on SDGs related to the environment, including Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Life Below Water (SDG 14), and Life on Land (SDG 15).

Nearly 45% of the UN AI projects involve collaborations with internal or external stakeholders, such as governments, academia, civil society, the private sector, and other international organizations.

There has been a notable increase in collaborations with other international organizations (56%), civil society (39%), government (37%), and academia (35%) compared to 2023.

The most common outputs for UN AI projects continue to be software tools and reports, with most of the reported projects being labeled as “ongoing.”

In 2024, AI was used more frequently to create products like generative AI-powered chatbots, web and mobile applications, and searchable dashboards. These tools, if used correctly, can be harnessed to streamline public services and strengthen emergency responses, overall improving efficiency within the UN system.

For the full report, please read here.