UNESCO Event : Dr. Anne-Laure Le Cnuff, Neuroscientist, Founder Ness Labs

Hello, I'm Dr. Anne-Laure Lecamp, founder of NEST-Labs, where we explore the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, and creativity. I am honored to contribute to this UNESCO event with the Albatros Foundation and Professor Ellen Langer. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals have guided global progress over nearly a decade. The proposed SDG 18, Respect and Goodwill for Humanity and Beyond, invites us to look deeper. How do we cultivate the mindset that allows these goals to work in harmony? From neuroscience, we know that empathy, curiosity, and respect are not abstract ideals. They shape our perception, attention, and capacity for cooperation. When we nurture these traits, individuals become more resilient and societies more collaborative. Technology can play a positive role in this. Projects such as Professor Ellen Langer's Digital Companion, built with Delphi AI and made possible through a partnership with Nest Labs, show how AI can help democratize access to knowledge and wellbeing education. SDG 18 reminds us that sustainability starts within, in how we relate to one another and to ourselves. By embedding respect and goodwill into education, innovation, and governance, we give the existing goals a stronger foundation. And as we design and deploy AI, we have the opportunity to make technology not just intelligent, but truly compassionate, serving humanity with respect and goodwill at its core. Thank you.