Sustainable Communities

AI and Emerging Technologies in Green Economic Development: Opportunities and Challenges

Artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies (e.g., blockchain, quantum computing, Internet of Things, robotics) are pivotal in accelerating the global transition to green economics. They help optimize renewable energy systems, enhance resource efficiency within the circular economy, predict climate change to support disaster preparedness, and develop innovative solutions for sustainable consumption and production. For example, a recent report by the World Economic Forum on the Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025 highlights AI's role in boosting green productivity and enabling equitable prosperity, which can add 1-3% to annual growth and reduce water and energy use by up to 55%.

Nevertheless, a critical paradox persists: AI's infrastructure demands substantial resource use, including energy and water. For instance, data centers could consume 3% of the total electricity demand by 2030, with AI contributing 20-50% of that growth. In emerging economies, the adoption of renewable energy has encountered diminishing marginal benefits, approaching thresholds at which advantages begin to decline, potentially widening digital divides and inequalities.

To address these dualities of AI, this special issue proposes to examine how AI and emerging technologies foster green economic growth, innovation, and community resilience, while critically assess AI’s environmental/socioeconomic risks, including energy footprints, equity gaps, and governance needs, with a goal to advance interdisciplinary solutions bridging economics, environmental science, technology, policy, and social sciences for transformative, sustainable outcomes.

Key topics include (but are not limited to):

• Opportunities: AI/IoT/blockchain for renewable optimization, circular economy acceleration, green job creation, ecosystem valuation, and community-based sustainable initiatives.
• Challenges: Quantifying/mitigating AI's carbon/water footprints, addressing digital divides and job transitions in vulnerable regions, ethical governance for "greener AI."
• Emerging Economy Perspectives: Non-linear impacts on green productivity, renewable transitions, and inclusive growth.
• Policy and Innovation: Incentives for sustainable AI deployment, integration with green finance/taxation, and frameworks for resilient economies.
• Forward-Looking: Convergence with other technologies (e.g., AI + nature-based solutions) and pathways to net-zero goals.