Yao Xin, vice-president of Lingnan University of Hong Kong, speaks at the "AI Governance and Sustainable Development: for Good and for All" Workshop during the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong on April 14. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

"When discussing responsible artificial intelligence (AI), it is important to clarify that the responsibility of technology extends beyond traditional stakeholders to encompass a wider social community", said Yao Xin, vice-president of Lingnan University of Hong Kong, at the "AI Governance and Sustainable Development: for Good and for All" Workshop during the 2025 World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong on April 14.

Pointing out that ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and SDGs (sustainable development goals) have shared core concepts, with distinctions primarily found in their respective expressions, Yao proposed his innovative thought on integrating ESG with the United Nations SDGs and AI governance. 

The UN’s 17 SDGs provide development guidelines for AI technology, while the corporate ESG reporting mechanism can function as a specific framework for AI governance, according to Yao. This dynamic establishes a reciprocal relationship where technology enhances the reporting mechanism, while the reporting mechanism facilitates regulated technological advancement, he added.

In response to questions such as should AI governance focus on addressing problems like algorithmic black boxes and data bias, and can the existing ESG disclosure mechanism be leveraged to promote AI governance, Yao proposed the transformation of SDG indicators into quantifiable AI governance standards through existing ESG initiatives to form a closed-loop ecosystem of "technology-ethics-development".