AI and Sustainability

Technology has long been hailed as the saviour of humanity’s greatest challenges, even though its implementation has a mixed track record of solving some problems only to create new and sometimes more severe ones. As technology continues to reshape societies, we now stand at a pivotal moment where Artificial Intelligence (AI) can significantly advance or hinder global sustainability efforts. With its capacity to process massive datasets, optimize complex processes, and automate tasks at an unprecedented scale, AI holds great promise for improving efficiency. Yet, it also raises concerns about amplifying existing inequalities, intensifying the consumption of natural resources, and introducing ethical dilemmas surrounding data privacy and algorithmic bias. There remains insufficient evidence or a comprehensive theory to explain whether—and, if so, how and why—AI and its associated technologies lead to social, environmental, and economic sustainability. This collection serves as an ideal platform for disseminating research findings, exchanging ideas, and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on this topic, helping us better understand the relationship between AI and sustainability.

Collection advisors: Eva Kassens-Noor (Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany), Meng Cai (Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany)