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sustainability. In this respect, the report highlights that there is a huge need for corresponding regulatory policies, incentives, and shifts in perspectives, which currently only exist in a small number of sectors and a limited number of countries. Closely related to this is an urgent need for governance to counteract the effects of the disruptive dynamics of digitalization. “The 2030 Agenda with its 17 SDGs provides an aspirational vision of a future that leaves no one behind. TWI2050 concludes that six major transformations would be necessary to achieve the SDGs and one of them is the digital revolution. The paradox is that the disruptive nature of the digital revolution offers a great opportunity for achieving a sustainable future, but is also testing the absorptive capacity of our societies,” says Nebojsa Nakicenovic, executive director of TWI2050. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and systems analysis Due to the digital nature of the world, there is an enormous amount of data of all types available today. These data sets come from a variety of sources and form an integral part of ongoing developments in AI and machine learning (ML). AI and ML are rapidly developing fields both in terms of methodology and policy applications. According to Advanced Systems Analysis Program Director Elena Rovenskaya, it is important to explore what new opportunities this may offer in applied systems analysis. She is convinced that these technologies will be used much more in the future. Among the promising new applications are, for example, modeling uncertainties for robust decision support tools and merging qualitative and quantitative data to enrich analyses and modeling processes. Newly available data sources such as mobile phone records, and financial data, or data directly gathered from citizens through social media, or wearable devices, are also opening up new avenues. Publicly available data for the training and testing of ML algorithms is also helping to improve the prediction quality of models, which could be useful in understanding and managing the potential socioeconomic impacts of, for instance, natural disasters. In addition, there is major potential especially for citizen science in closing the data gaps, for example, in terms of the SDG indicators. “Through citizen science, people around the world could become much more involved not only in monitoring these indicators, but also in implementing the sustainable development agenda,” explains Steffen Fritz, who leads the IIASA Center for Earth Observation and Citizen Science. Looking at all the challenges and opportunities offered by the digital environment, one thing is clear: It is time for all researchers, policymakers, and citizens to unite in building a common vision for a digital world where data, infrastructure, algorithms, and insights gained from our use of digital technologies can be used to leverage collective action towards sustainable development. By Ansa Heyl Further information: Digitalization will transform the global economy www.iiasa.ac.at/PolicyBrief/20 TWI2050 - The World in 2050 (2019). The Digital Revolution and Sustainable Development: Opportunities and Challenges. Report by The World in 2050 initiative. Laxenburg, Austria: IIASA [pure.iiasa.ac.at/15913] Fritz S, See L, Carlson T, Haklay M, Oliver J, Fraisl D, Mondardini R, Brocklehurst M, et al. (2019). Citizen science and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Nature Sustainability [pure.iiasa.ac.at/16094] Rovenskaya E, et al. (2019). Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Systems Analysis of the 21st Century. IIASA WP-19-010 [pure.iiasa.ac.at/16121] Leena Ilmola-Sheppard: ilmola@iiasa.ac.at Elena Rovenskaya: rovenska@iiasa.ac.at Nadejda Komendantova: komendan@iiasa.ac.at Nebojsa Nakicenovic: naki@iiasa.ac.at Steffen Fritz: fritz@iiasa.ac.at 15Optionswww.iiasa.ac.at Winter 2019/20