Strategic view on the current role of AI in advancing environmental sustainability: a SWOT analysis

Abstract

Sustainability has become a critical global concern, focusing on key environmental goals such as achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, reducing waste, and increasing the use of recycled materials in products. These efforts often involve companies striving to minimize their carbon footprints and enhance resource efficiency. Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated significant potential in tackling these sustainability challenges. This study aims to evaluate the various aspects that must be considered when deploying AI for sustainability solutions. Employing a SWOT analysis methodology, we assessed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of 70 research articles associated with AI in this context. The study offers two main contributions. Firstly, it presents a detailed SWOT analysis highlighting recent advancements in AI and its role in promoting sustainability. Key findings include the importance of data availability and quality as critical enablers for AI’s effectiveness in sustainable applications, and the necessity of AI explainability to mitigate risks, particularly for smaller companies facing financial constraints in adopting AI. Secondly, the study identifies future research areas, emphasizing the need for appropriate regulations and the evaluation of general-purpose models, such as the latest large language models, in sustainability initiatives. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on AI’s role in sustainability by providing insights and recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, thus paving the way for further exploration at the intersection of AI and sustainable development.