FinTech and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development

Book excerpt: This book investigates how smart technologies can play a crucial role in the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on FinTech as well as artificial intelligence, the author demonstrates how one of the most effective strategies for accelerating progress toward global development goals is to make use of emerging technologies to broaden and deepen the scope of action. The first part of the book offers a historical perspective on sustainable development, financial technology and the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, while the second part looks in-depth at new technologies that can contribute to the realization of the SDGs. The power of AI to reduce poverty and increase food security, the implications of digital innovations for education, the impact of AI on clean transport, the role of FinTech in mitigating climate change, and ways in which AI can aid financial inclusion are all discussed. David Mhlanga is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research topics include financial inclusion, poverty studies, and Industry 4.0. His wider subject areas include development economics, the economics of artificial intelligence, health, and education economics. He is the author of Digital Financial Inclusion, published by Palgrave in 2022.