Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most transformative technologies of the 21st century, reshaping industries, economies, digital markets, and societies at an unprecedented pace. As the global community strives to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), AI presents both remarkable opportunities and complex challenges. AI-driven innovations can accelerate progress toward environmental protection and economic prosperity—from optimizing e-commerce platforms for sustainable consumption to enabling data-driven green finance—yet the deployment of AI systems also raises concerns regarding energy consumption, algorithmic bias, and ethical implications that may hinder sustainability if left unaddressed.

This Topic aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for scholars and practitioners to exchange ideas and share empirical findings at the intersection of AI and sustainable development. Spanning eight journals of MDPI—Big Data and Cognitive Computing, Economies, Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, Land, Smart Cities, Sustainability, Systems, and Urban Science—this Topic enables authors to select the most suitable venue based on their research focus. We welcome contributions exploring how AI can advance sustainability across diverse domains, including electronic commerce, digital platforms, urban systems, and natural resource management, as well as studies that examine the risks and governance frameworks for responsible AI deployment.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Big data and AI technologies for sustainability, such as machine learning and deep learning for climate modeling, IoT-enabled environmental monitoring, and cognitive computing for energy optimization;
• Smart cities and sustainable urban infrastructure, including intelligent mobility, digital twins, and green buildings;
• Land systems and natural resource management, covering agricultural sustainability, ecosystem conservation, and land use analysis;
• AI-driven electronic commerce and sustainable digital markets, including intelligent recommendation systems for green products, platform-based business models for circular economy, data-driven consumer behavior analytics, and digital marketing strategies for sustainable consumption;
• Sustainable supply chain management enabled by AI, including smart logistics optimization, blockchain-based traceability, and e-commerce platforms for ethical sourcing;
• FinTech and AI for sustainable finance, including green investment analytics, ESG-driven decision support systems, and decentralized finance applications for sustainability;
• Economic development and AI governance, addressing green innovation, labor market impacts, and policy frameworks;
• Systems approaches, including integrated assessment and multi-stakeholder governance for sustainable transitions.

We encourage both theoretical and empirical submissions. Contributions from developing economies and cross-regional collaborations are especially welcome. We hope this Topic can make a contribution to bridging AI research with sustainability practice.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yunpeng Yang
Dr. Weixin Yang
Topic Editors