We already see quite a lot of generative AI and foundation model uptake within the social good space, especially supporting the United Nation's sustainable development goals. These include health and wellbeing, education, the future of work, and economic growth—as well as for peace and justice institutions.
When I think about European engagement in these efforts, I think about innovation. For health and wellbeing, for instance, there's tremendous potential for generative AI and foundation models to accelerate the discovery of new drugs, reimagine protein folding, and predict these innovations. One great European opportunity is to continue innovating in health while supporting the world's most vulnerable populations. In a world where antimicrobial resistance is a growing potential threat as we create new vaccines for emergent infections, this is a real opportunity for Europe to flex that innovation muscle.
The other opportunity for Europe is through the reskilling and upskilling its workforce, and really focusing on the education angle. Most of the clients I talk to—even those outside the social good space—are thinking around the workforce of the future. And if we consider Europe’s diversity and talent base, a key factor going forward will be educational systems and upskilling programmes that are personalised to address different dialects and educational requirements of the most vulnerable populations throughout the continent.
