March 26th, 2025

4 min read

Artificial intelligence (AI) is dominating headlines, reshaping industries, and stirring debates worldwide. While much of the conversation around AI focuses on its potential for innovation, there’s an increasingly crucial question that needs to be addressed: How can we harness this powerful technology for collective global progress?

In a recent interview with WSJ, NTT DATA Inc. President and CEO Abhijit Dubey shared a vision for AI that extends beyond just innovation for innovation’s sake. This vision centers on creating a future where technology serves humanity, ensuring that AI is ethically designed, sustainable, and used for the benefit of society at large, on a global scale.

Watch the full interview.

AI’s Global Impact

AI is poised to have an even more profound impact on society and business than the internet itself. The biggest challenges faced by both developed and developing nations includes  productivity and democratized access to AI to enhance education and healthcare for example. In developed countries, one of the significant  challenges is stagnant productivity growth. Whereas for developing nations, particularly in the Global South, they struggle with a shortage of educators, healthcare and other professionals.

AI, however, has the power to address both challenges. It can help to improve education and healthcare, even in underserved areas, thereby contributing to global economic development.

AI can also support productivity growth across various industries. Combining human ingenuity with machine capabilities could result in the addition of $5 trillion GDP to the global economy, which is just slightly higher than the GDP of Japan.

Ethics, Security, and Inclusivity in AI

The rapid advancement of AI technology brings with it the need for responsible innovation. AI must be designed with ethical considerations, trust, security, and sustainability at its core. These values need to be embedded into every stage of development to ensure that AI serves the collective good. Additionally, access to AI must be democratized, ensuring equal opportunities for all, regardless of geography or economic status.

NTT has adopted a philosophy of “responsible reinvention,” where innovation is pursued with long-term thinking and care. This approach is not just about advancing technology but doing so in a way that benefits society and future generations. NTT’s historical legacy is rooted in the Japanese principle of sanpo-yoshi, or “good three ways:” good for the buyer, the supplier, and society.


NTT’s Approach to AI and Sustainability

This philosophy translates into NTT’s approach to business. Decisions around investments are not solely based on financial considerations: sustainability, ethics, and trust are equally important factors. This is why NTT has committed to building AI systems that are not just powerful but also sustainable and ethical, ensuring that their operations minimize environmental impact while maximizing social good.

The company has established an AI Charter, founded on six principles:

  • Enabling

    sustainable development

  • Human

    Autonomy

  • Ensuring

    fairness and openness

  • Security

  • Privacy

  • Communication

    & co-creation with society

The Charter guides everything NTT does around AI.

For instance, one of NTT’s most significant initiatives is its work in AI infrastructure. As AI-powered data centers require vast amounts of energy and fresh water, NTT is leading the way in innovative cooling technologies to reduce these demands. This includes investing heavily in immersion and direct-to-chip liquid cooling, technologies that allow for much greater energy efficiency in data centers.

In addition, NTT is pioneering research to replace traditional electronics with photonics in communications and computing infrastructures. This could significantly reduce energy consumption and heat production, improving the environmental efficiency of AI in the long run.


Collaboration for Progress in AI

For AI to truly benefit the world, collaboration across borders is essential. This includes aligning with international forums and policy initiatives, such as the G7 Hiroshima Code of Conduct and the World Economic Forum AI Alliance. These collaborations help shape global governance frameworks that ensure the ethical and sustainable use of AI.

NTT is working with several partners, including academic institutions like the Harvard Center for Brain Science, to contribute to the responsible development of AI. This international cooperation is critical to ensuring that AI is developed in a way that respects human rights, privacy, and ethical standards.

Ensuring Ethical AI Development

To navigate the ethical challenges of AI development, it is critical to integrate AI strategy into overall corporate strategy. AI must not be an isolated initiative but a central part of a company’s long-term vision. NTT’s AI Charter is a good example of how this can work in practice.

Another key step that companies may want to consider is appointing a dedicated leader who can oversee AI projects and ensure they align with ethical and sustainability goals. This commitment at the highest levels of the business is a strong indicator of how seriously a company takes the development of AI.

Looking Ahead: The Future of AI

With the right balance of innovation and responsibility, AI can drive positive change for people, communities, and businesses around the world. The future of AI is not just about technological advancement; it’s about creating a future where technology serves humanity for the greater good. As we look ahead, it’s clear that how we shape AI today will determine the world we live in tomorrow.