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AI trends in 2025 that drive progress on global goals

As the 10th annual UN Science, Technology, and Innovation Forum gets under way in New York, GZERO Media’s Global Stage series presents a timely conversation about the promise and peril of artificial intelligence in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.


Moderated by GZERO Media Chief Content Officer Tony Maciulis, this forward-looking panel features Microsoft’s chief data scientist Dr. Juan Lavista Ferres, UN AI policy lead Lucia Velasco, George Washington University professor and author Jeffrey Ding, and Eurasia Group’s Caitlin Dean.

Filmed inside United Nations headquarters, the discussion explores whether AI can truly be a tool for inclusion—or if it risks deepening global divides. Panelists highlight challenges from access to electricity and internet, to language gaps and workforce training, while also spotlighting ways AI is already helping to deliver healthcare and education at scale.

With global cooperation and multi-stakeholder governance still works in progress, this Global Stage conversation captures a pivotal moment for technology and the UN’s 2030 Agenda.

This conversation is presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft, from the 2025 STI Forum at the United Nations in New York. The Global Stage series convenes global leaders for critical conversations on the geopolitical and technological trends shaping our world.

See more at https://www.gzeromedia.com/global-stage

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Gender gap in AI job displacement

Who benefits from AI and who is left behind? Speaking at the United Nations, Sarah Steinberg highlighted the disproportionate impact of AI on women in the workforce. One in three women works in a job "likely to be disrupted or significantly changed by AI compared to one in four men globally,” Steinberg said. At the same time, women account for only a third of those building AI skills, creating a skills gap that could limit access to emerging jobs.

How can AI improve everyday life for citizens?

How can artificial intelligence improve everyday life for citizens? Speaking at the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish highlighted India’s approach to digital public infrastructure. “Today in India, the cost of access to internet is the lowest in the world… and data usage per capita is one of the highest,” he said.

Preparing the workforce for AI

How will artificial intelligence reshape the global workforce, and who will be ready for it? Speaking at the United Nations, Doreen Bogdan-Martin said the rapid growth of AI will transform jobs worldwide, making large-scale workforce training essential. “We’ve seen estimates that 170 million new jobs will be created; maybe 90 million jobs will be lost,” she said. “So how do we ensure that we’re prepared?”

Expanding AI access worldwide

Could AI deepen global inequality or help close the gap? Lisa Monaco, President of Global Affairs, Microsoft, says it all comes down to trust. She argues that “people won’t use technology that they don’t trust,” especially as geopolitical tensions raise concerns about the reliability and resilience of digital infrastructure.