The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) introduced by the United Nations in 2015 are the 17 global priority goals to be achieved by 2030. They cover targets such as Zero Hunger, Climate Action, Clean Water and Sanitation and Responsible Consumption and Production. Achieving the SDGs within the timeframe is of crucial importance for the sustained survival of humanity and the global ecosystem, yet the road to the SDGs poses an enormous challenge to the scientific, political and economic community. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential dramatically to accelerate the pace at which the SDGs can be achieved. Wherever AI is developed, its impacts will soon be global. The challenge of ensuring that it is applied in a beneficial manner is a challenge for us all.