Will We Shape AI, or Will AI Shape Us? A Call to Action for Sustainable Development

Jenny Shipley

doi:10.69841/igee.2026.017

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Perspective Will We Shape AI, or Will AI Shape Us? A Call to Action for Sustainable Development: Jenny Shipley^*; DOI: https://doi.org/10.69841/igee.2026.017
Published online: October 7, 2026

36th Prime Minister of New Zealand; First Woman Prime Minister of New Zealand; Chair, APEC (1999); Senior Advisor, Boao Forum for Asia

*Corresponding author: Jenny Shipley E-mail: burton@jsnz.com

The Global Engagement & Empowerment Forum on Sustainable Development (GEEF) 2026, hosted by Yonsei University, was successfully held over two days from March 12 to 13, 2026. Addressing global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and humanitarian crises requires stronger international cooperation and collective action than ever before. GEEF 2026 serves as a global platform that moves beyond dialogue toward real action and measurable impact. As part of this year's program, a keynote address by Jenny Shipley, the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand, examined how humanity must govern and direct the impact of artificial intelligence in order to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. The following is a transcript of the keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBaAvhZgaDI

• Received: September 2, 2026 • Revised: September 11, 2026 • Accepted: September 29, 2026

Submitted for possible open-access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant idea. It is our daily companion. We have each consented to have it in our lives, and AI is now taking on a life of its own within each of our personal, lived experiences. In that context, we need to accept that while this is a very exciting time, we also need to look past the hype around AI and think about sustainable development solutions, and indeed human development boundaries, with clarity.

So it is a time for action, and we must call on all nations at this moment to think about what comes next. These are challenging times, and it is very important, in my opinion, that even though there are personalities and events in recent weeks that are challenging our traditional thinking, we must not be overwhelmed by those circumstances or let them deter us from clarity of thought about how we look at a technologically enabled world, and in particular, what opportunities and conditions must exist to bring the Sustainable Development Goals into sharply focused reality for the future.

We must call on all nations and global companies to be participants, not just observers, in these circumstances, as we drive to close the gaps in the Sustainable Development Goals and make progress by 2030, at this very important moment of rapid transition that is imposing unprecedented change already impacting developed and developing economies alike.

But we must remember that in these circumstances, the world is the customer here. We need to think about what that really means. We must boldly indicate to developers of AI and other technological innovations that the world wants solutions for the many, not just novelty for the few. Trillions of dollars are currently being deployed across all manner of new technologies, and power is being concentrated in the hands of a few. I would argue that much of this investment may eventually come to nothing. Only a few of the many will deliver deployable technologies that produce commercially viable solutions and meaningful sustainable change for humanity at large.

So what must our call to action be at this conference, and in our broader conversations? I believe there is an urgent need to champion the concept of AI for good. It may sound naive, or simple in its clarity, but boundaries in this conversation are required. We need to define the space within which AI can move forward, and beyond which there are consequences, and we need to discuss who will bear the responsibility for those consequences in terms of impact, cost, and imposition.

Let us call on sustainable development funders, as the customer on behalf of us all, to make clear what they are willing to fund and scale in terms of solutions directly applicable to the Sustainable Development Goals. Perhaps we should call on all governments, developed and developing alike, to measure their own progress more deeply, framed in SDG language, so that the SDG narrative becomes meaningful across all of our economies. Perhaps we should demand that statisticians globally give equal prominence to SDG progress alongside GDP as a measure of a country's success. Let us consider establishing a global recognition brand for companies that are SDG champions, delivering AI-ready solutions that help achieve specific SDG outcomes. And let us call on investors to be discerning in their investment intentions, contributing specifically to what can be achieved through the SDGs, while remaining mindful of the impact of these innovations on human development as well as sustainable development.

And let us each commit to facing up to the demanding questions that need to be answered. Will we shape AI, or will we allow AI to shape us?

We have a responsibility to confront this question not tomorrow, not in the next political cycle, but now, while we have the time to insist that AI contributes to building a more just, sustainable, and human-centered world. If we do nothing, there are clearly grave risks that technology may deepen inequality, among other substantial risks that are constantly being identified. I hope many potential progressive solutions will be discussed at this conference that can meaningfully advance SDG outcomes.

And of course, there are reasons for hope. AI-assisted technologies and renewable energy, as has already been mentioned, are driving massive global shifts across developing and developed economies alike, optimizing solar and wind generation, managing smart grids, and improving battery storage and efficiency. These innovations are no longer theoretical. They are already reshaping global energy systems and prompting meaningful climate action, reducing emissions in transport and buildings, for example, and assisting us in monitoring our forests, our oceans, and our biodiversity in real time. In food production, AI deployment is directly contributing to improving food access and reducing vulnerability, and hopefully will continue to improve food security and, in the future, even more materially reduce poverty and improve prosperity.

There are many other positive examples we could consider, but two I view as particularly important are the gains in access to healthcare, and the innovation flourishing there even in the most remote corners of the globe, and access to finance now available to millions of people through AI innovation on platforms who would otherwise have had finance out of reach.

And while this is progress, there are of course many risks. What is clear is that if we are to ensure humanity and AI rise together to a point where they can comfortably coexist, we have a lot of work to do. At a global level, at the very least, we need a robust global AI governance framework to guide us, and a renewed commitment to delivering AI solutions in areas like the SDGs, which are not a theoretical framework but a commitment to close an equity gap and improve people's lives.

In a human sense, we must ensure that we share with our children and communities the reality that repetitive work may be replaced by AI-enabled systems and robotics. We must not avoid this conversation. It is already becoming a reality, and it will affect the middle classes more than anywhere else in most of our respective economies. It is a culture shock that has yet to have its full impact, and it will present huge challenges to the public policy environment in how we respond.

The education system, in my opinion, faces a huge challenge in terms of how it will pivot toward the skills that will flourish in the generation ahead of us. In my opinion, these must include creativity, the ability to think critically and analyze rather than simply accept knowledge as presented, an ethical framework within which to exercise judgment, and deep emotional intelligence that does not allow machines to substitute the heart of who we are. And of course, adaptability and flexibility, but perhaps adaptability above all. What do we do when we are uncertain? Do we let it overwhelm us, or do we provide the skills and framework for people to navigate their way through these new complexities? These are conversations that families, households, communities, universities, societies, and global organizations need to be raising urgently, because it is something that cannot be deferred, given the speed with which AI is being deployed.

These qualities are at the heart of who we are as human beings, not just what we do, and that is the dividing assessment we need to think about. There is no question that AI has an unlimited capacity to change what we do and what it can do for us, and we may then have to deal with the consequences.

Trust has already been mentioned. To make progress, agreement must be achieved on how humanity and AI can coexist together, anchored on the values of trust, responsibility, and accountability. These three values require moral clarity. Political, industrial, and investor leaders must decide, and as they do, it will, in my opinion, be a mirror reflecting our priorities, our ethics, and our vision for the future. How do we close that gap and ensure we get this right, or will we leave these as two separate conversations, only to realize some way down the track that this has gotten beyond our ability to pull back together?

In my opinion, developers must understand that as they create a world of possibilities in this space, they must build trust and expect to be held responsible for the impact of their innovations, and to take accountability for the outcomes, both intended and unintended. Will governments be ahead of the developers, or will developers, as they are now, remain well ahead of governments? These are critical questions that I hope this conference will find the capacity to discuss.

Let us raise our voice at this forum in our call for a new collaboration among players in this AI-enabled human development space, as tools and solutions emerge that are affordable and sustainable, in order to accelerate progress in delivering the elusive Sustainable Development Goals, but that also enhance human development in the years, the centuries, and beyond.

The SDGs represent our collective promise to the world. More than ten years have passed, but the need has not abated. This promise, to end poverty, to protect our planet, and to ensure dignity for all, is as relevant now as it has ever been. But we need to accept that we cannot simply be observers. We have to be participants if these gaps are to be closed. That means something of each of us. We are the first generation, all of us in this room, senior and young alike, to live with AI, and perhaps we are the last generation with the power to shape it in the direction of AI for good.

As people who live in the Asia-Pacific region, at a moment when global institutions are under significant international stress and, whether we like it or not, weakened to some extent in their ability to make contributions, I would argue that the Asia-Pacific has an opportunity to show its natural agility here. Korea is clearly a champion and has already established well-developed systems. But I would encourage us to think about how, across the Asia-Pacific, we can use our connections, our alliances, and our friendships, historic and current, through vehicles such as APEC or RCEP, where local collaboration, cultural knowledge, and confidence in each other offer us an opportunity to move ahead. If we wait until global institutions are ready, it will be too late. There is a capacity for us here in this region to show leadership in this space.

So let 2026 be a year where we build collaborative relationships, set ambitious and achievable targets, and remain inspired in our belief that AI and humanity can rise together, delivering intentional AI-for-good solutions that give us a chance to secure the human development of our species in the future, and close the gaps of the SDGs as soon as we are able.

Acknowledgments

Dame Jenny Shipley served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999 and was the first woman to hold the office. Widely regarded for her leadership in economic and social reform, she has built a career of more than three decades spanning national government, corporate governance, and international engagement with leaders across Asia and the developing world. Before becoming Prime Minister, Shipley held senior Cabinet portfolios including Social Welfare, Women's Affairs, Health, and Transport, where she oversaw major reforms of New Zealand's welfare and health systems. As Prime Minister, she led a coalition and later a minority government through New Zealand's first parliament under the MMP electoral system, steered the country through the Asian financial crisis and back to growth, and chaired APEC in 1999, the first woman to do so. Since retiring from politics in 2002, Shipley has held board and advisory roles in New Zealand and abroad, including as Chair of Genesis Energy and as a director of China Construction Bank, and has served on the boards of the Boao Forum for Asia and the International Finance Forum. She is a long-standing member of the Club of Madrid, a network of former heads of state and government that promotes democratic governance, in which she has served as Vice President, and is a member of the World Women's Leadership Council. In 2026 she was appointed Chair of the Waitangi National Trust. She is a member of the Privy Council, a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and trained as a teacher at the Christchurch College of Education before entering Parliament in 1987.

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