Technology has been widely integrated into human life. The presence of technology is an important hope for the harmony and sustainability of its use to support various human activities. Good hopes can run with human ability to adapt to technological developments. The importance of this aspect is because humans who are unable to adapt to technology will be marginalized in digital groups. This gives rise to a phenomenon known as the digital divide in the use of technology. The digital divide is related to the difference in the use or utilization of technology that is beneficial and disadvantageous by two groups. The ability to use technology is an important factor in the occurrence of the digital divide. On the other hand, digital groups now use technology as a tool to develop social relationships and communicate.
One of the technologies that is now present during dynamic social change is artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence is a software technology that has capabilities such as perception. Including audio, visual, textual, and touch (e.g. facial recognition), decision making (medical diagnostic systems), prediction (weather forecasts), knowledge extraction and thought patterns, interactive communication (social robots and chatbots), and logical reasoning (theory development) (Vinuesa et al., 2020). The presence of AI has become a viral phenomenon because it is widely discussed by various groups because it has potential like humans (Laila, 2024). Computer programs designed to adapt to human intelligence have now been widely used to support communication activities for digital natives. This means that AI has experienced an expansion of use, where in the past it was only more to help human life in certain sectors, it has supported human communication activities.
Furthermore, Guzman & Lewis (2020) said that AI has narrowed the communication gap by becoming a bridge that functions as a communicator. AI technology functions as a communicator taking on the role of communication that discusses interactions between humans. For example, AI acts as a voice assistant and automated writing. The implementation of this role is mainly in the interaction of questions, answers, and writing automatically using human language, so that it is easy for humans to understand. The most epic role of AI technology is the creation of robots that can interact and communicating verbally and nonverbally with humans. This means that AI technology is not only a communication tool but also an automatic message exchange process.
Automatic communication from AI creates a new social phenomenon, namely the dependence of social processes. This is because now many people use technology in various ways such as sending messages, answering questions, and having independent conversations. Some examples of this type of technology include chatbots, virtual assistants, educational applications, and the like. To connect with various people such as the public, consumers, students, businesspeople, and the like, simply use AI to communicate with each other. AI technology has a position as a complex communication partner like humans. In other words, AI technology also has abundant benefits because it can be a source of knowledge, a communication tool, a source of information, and so on (Guzman & Lewis, 2020).
The description above has the same meaning as explained by Guzman & Lewis (2020) that there are three aspects that are the basis of communicative AI technology, namely functional, relational, and metaphysical implications.
AI and Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is homework for countries around the world. All countries that are members of the global plan seem to promise to create development and prosperity for society. The determination of development starts from the micro to macro sectors so that equality of prosperity can be felt by various elements of society. Examining this hope, artificial intelligence is now a new focus on how sustainable development can be achieved in 2030. AI can increase the efficiency of activities for both good and bad things. Therefore, AI has been considered an opportunity and risk for sustainable human development (Yeh et al., 2021). This means that AI plays a role in helping to empower humans in efforts to use technology to support their lives.
The goals of sustainable development or what is known as sustainable development goals (SDGs) are goals on a global scale that have reached a global consensus. Where the countries that are members are trying to build good and sustainable human resources. The artificial intelligence or AI needed for sustainable development (SD) has become a connecting framework between technology, policies, and various implementations. As with the triple bottom lines (TBL) of sustainable development, it encompasses economic development, social inclusion, and environmental performance, indicating that various aspects and applications of AI can be incorporated into the framework of sustainable development. Although AI seems like something enhanced by high technology, human values have been strongly emphasized. In accordance with "artificial" intelligence, human values and humanistic approaches are included in the discussion (Yeh et al., 2021).
In general, artificial intelligence does not have a different function from technology in general. This means that every technology is expected to improve people's quality of life, including skills, knowledge, economy, and the like. The issues between artificial intelligence and sustainable development have been explored and discussed with various topics. For example, the use of artificial intelligence for economic, social, and environmental needs. In other words, the application of AI in marketing, finance, and technology is closely related to the economy. Other topics are also discussed such as education, labour and employment, and health care are included in the social aspect. AI for environmental protection, marine conservation, energy efficiency, and agricultural production are more environmentally friendly (Yeh et al., 2021). It seems a bit empty to achieve the SDGs, optimism has been attached to the assumption that technology will be able to fulfil this, namely it can help achieve the sustainable development goals plan in 2030. This proves the statement originating from the study of Vinuesa et al., (2020) which found that AI can influence the ability of human resources to achieve sustainable development.
-Rosmalia Ahmad & Diana Anggraeni
References
Guzman, A. L., & Lewis, S. C. (2020). Artificial intelligence and communication: A Human–Machine Communication research agenda. New Media & Society, 22(1), 70–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819858691
Laila, K. (2024). Fenomena Kecerdasan Buatan sebagai Manipulasi Suara di Ruang Virtual (TikTok). In Kecerdasan Buatan dalam Evolusi Media dan Komunikasi. Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Vinuesa, R., Azizpour, H., Leite, I., Balaam, M., Dignum, V., Domisch, S., Felländer, A., Langhans, S. D., Tegmark, M., & Fuso Nerini, F. (2020). The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Nature Communications, 11(1), 233. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-14108-y
Yeh, S.-C., Wu, A.-W., Yu, H.-C., Wu, H. C., Kuo, Y.-P., & Chen, P.-X. (2021). Public Perception of Artificial Intelligence and Its Connections to the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability, 13(16), 9165. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169165