 The State of Broadband Report is the annual flagship report of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. We produce it every year to be published in the run-up to the UN General Assembly. Historically it's collated different viewpoints and perspectives from a number of commissioners and their organisations who contribute their ideas and key insights to the report for which we are very grateful. This year in particular the report addressed big data and artificial intelligence or AI, self-automated systems that can learn and adapt and respond to changing conditions and information. We examine the use of big data and AI for sustainable development.