The idea for a UNAB publication focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) stems from a brief yet intense digital deep dive held in April 2017 at the annual Netexplo Forum. Looking at the near horizon for global societies generated serious debate and discussion on the challenges and potential impact of AI, Machine Learning and accelerated Automation across the public and private sectors. Without getting into the question of the absolute definition of AI, the consensus of the UNAB think tank was that AI is already having an effect on societies and communities. We acknowledge that there has been use and development of modern AI for over 70 years, with increasing design and application over the last decade of digital disruption and transformation. Today we acknowledge that AI is here to stay as a key dimension of human existence. What does this mean for the near future? Are we about to arrive at singularity, where Human Intelligence and AI become totally integrated? We can think of surface reasons where AI informs the greater good for society, particularly for medical research.Yet not enough is currently known to genuinely forecast if the greater good will be the dominant direction we decide on. More importantly, will we as a global society, be making that choice ourselves?