Propelling Sustainable Development in the Commonwealth Debate
The 8th Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development held in London recently shed light on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in accelerating the progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The motion under discussion, ‘Artificial Intelligence is the answer to accelerating the power of sport to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,’ sparked a lively debate among experts in the field. Ultimately, the team advocating for the ethical use of AI in sports emerged victorious, emphasizing the importance of leveraging technology within established frameworks.
The debate, which coincided with the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on April 6th, served as an important platform to explore innovative strategies to harness the power of AI in sports for sustainable development. Rohn Malhotra, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sports TechX and a key member of the winning team, highlighted the opportunities presented by technology to propel progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. His remarks underscored the transformative potential of AI when employed ethically and strategically in the realm of sports.
As Deion Sanders continues to hold the fascination of college football, even when his team loses, something else is happening wrote USA TODAY’s Mike Freeman:
“It may not make headlines, but it’s happening all across the country. In Black homes. In Black businesses. Black fathers and sons, Black moms and daughters, Black friends and workmates – so many in the Black community are talking about Sanders. They are saying that Colorado is Black America’s team.”
With that jaw-dropper segue from Part One of “The Deion Effect,” we turn to views from several sports enthusiasts who I asked to weigh in on this issue. And weigh in they did.
Sport plays a significant role in creating communities as common bond is formed when individuals and teams compete celebrating their successes and failures with others.The Olympics is as much a peace movement as a sporting event with the Olympic flame a symbol of harmony, cultural plurality and togetherness. Athletes have been practitioners of Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) for decades meeting and connecting with people from other countries and backgrounds setting aside differences and developing a sense of fair play for all. Nicknamed “The Greatest”, Muhammad Ali is one of the most celebrated sporting figures of the 20th Century and he brought the whole world together when an estimated global audience of 1 billion viewers watched his famous “The Rumble in the Jungle” fight with George Foreman. In the 21st Century, major sporting apparel companies understand the ubiquitous commercial benefits of I&D as evidenced in the World Economic Forum article titled: The business case for diversity in the workplace is now overwhelming which stated:
“It is important for corporations to step up and advocate for diversity and tolerance on a public platform. A great example of this is Nike’s support of American football quarterback and rights campaigner Colin ` Kaerpenick. More than a marketing exercise, it showed the world that one of America’s best-known corporations was willing to stand aside one man in his battel against racial injustice and intolerance.”
