Rethinking the Rule of Law for Sustainable Development in the Age of AI

This chapter explores the evolving concept of governance in the context of sustainable development and artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing the central role of the rule of law in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16). It traces how governance has developed across political, legal, and social landscapes, highlighting both the importance and the challenges of ensuring legality, judicial independence, and accountability amid crises like globalization, pandemics, and environmental degradation. The chapter underscores the need for a resilient and multi-level legal framework that incorporates emerging technologies and proposes integrating disruptive digital tools to enhance governance and sustainability outcomes. Ultimately, it examines the potential of AI to reshape governance structures and call for ongoing research and policy innovation to bridge the gap between legal norms and practical implementation of SDG