1. //
  2. Start
  3. //
  4. Publications
  5. Artificial intelligence in sustainable d...
  6. Output formats
  7. //

Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Standard

Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research. / Gohr, Charlotte; Rodríguez Aboytes, Jorge Gustavo; Belomestnykh, Sergey et al.
In: Nature Sustainability, Vol. 8, No. 8, 08.2025, p. 970-978.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Gohr, C, Rodríguez Aboytes, JG, Belomestnykh, S, Berg-Moelleken, D, Chauhan, N, Engler, J-O, von Heydebreck, L, Hintz, MJ, Kretschmer, M-F, Krügermeier, C, Meinberg, J, Rau, A-L, Schwenck, C, Aoulkadi, I, Poll, S, Frank, E, Creutzig, F, Lemke, O, Maushart, M, Pfendtner-Heise, J, Rathgens, J & von Wehrden, H 2025, 'Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research', Nature Sustainability, vol. 8, no. 8, pp. 970-978. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01598-6

APA

Gohr, C., Rodríguez Aboytes, J. G., Belomestnykh, S., Berg-Moelleken, D., Chauhan, N., Engler, J.-O., von Heydebreck, L., Hintz, M. J., Kretschmer, M.-F., Krügermeier, C., Meinberg, J., Rau, A.-L., Schwenck, C., Aoulkadi, I., Poll, S., Frank, E., Creutzig, F., Lemke, O., Maushart, M., ... von Wehrden, H. (2025). Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research. Nature Sustainability, 8(8), 970-978. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01598-6

Vancouver

Gohr C, Rodríguez Aboytes JG, Belomestnykh S, Berg-Moelleken D, Chauhan N, Engler JO et al. Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research. Nature Sustainability. 2025 Aug;8(8):970-978. doi: 10.1038/s41893-025-01598-6

Bibtex

@article{f78b3c85203146d88f22e20e9a3c3d40,
title = "Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research",
abstract = "Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant potential to advance Sustainable Development Goals by enabling data-driven insights and optimizations. In this analysis, we review 792 articles that explore AI applications in Sustainable Development Goal-related research. The literature is organized along two dimensions: (1) the disciplinary spectrum, from natural sciences to the humanities, and (2) the focus, distinguishing economic from socioecological content. Deep learning and supervised machine learning were the most prominently applied algorithms for forecasting and system optimization. However, we identify a critical gap: only a few studies combine advanced AI applications with deep sustainability expertise. Sustainability needs to strike a balance between contextualization and generalizability to provide tangible knowledge that will lead to responsible change. AI must play a central role in this process. While expectations for AI{\textquoteright}s transformative role in sustainable development are high, its full potential remains to be realized.",
keywords = "Sustainability Governance, Sustainability Science, Sustainability sciences, Communication",
author = "Charlotte Gohr and {Rodr{\'i}guez Aboytes}, {Jorge Gustavo} and Sergey Belomestnykh and Dagmar Berg-Moelleken and Neha Chauhan and John-Oliver Engler and {von Heydebreck}, Linda and Hintz, {Marie J.} and Max-Friedemann Kretschmer and Carlo Kr{\"u}germeier and Jule Meinberg and Anna-Lena Rau and Christoph Schwenck and Iman Aoulkadi and Sabrina Poll and Elisabeth Frank and Felix Creutzig and Oska Lemke and M. Maushart and Jannis Pfendtner-Heise and Julius Rathgens and {von Wehrden}, Henrik",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",
year = "2025",
month = aug,
doi = "10.1038/s41893-025-01598-6",
language = "English",
volume = "8",
pages = "970--978",
journal = "Nature Sustainability",
issn = "2398-9629",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "8",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Artificial intelligence in sustainable development research

AU - Gohr, Charlotte

AU - Rodríguez Aboytes, Jorge Gustavo

AU - Belomestnykh, Sergey

AU - Berg-Moelleken, Dagmar

AU - Chauhan, Neha

AU - Engler, John-Oliver

AU - von Heydebreck, Linda

AU - Hintz, Marie J.

AU - Kretschmer, Max-Friedemann

AU - Krügermeier, Carlo

AU - Meinberg, Jule

AU - Rau, Anna-Lena

AU - Schwenck, Christoph

AU - Aoulkadi, Iman

AU - Poll, Sabrina

AU - Frank, Elisabeth

AU - Creutzig, Felix

AU - Lemke, Oska

AU - Maushart, M.

AU - Pfendtner-Heise, Jannis

AU - Rathgens, Julius

AU - von Wehrden, Henrik

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025/8

Y1 - 2025/8

N2 - Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant potential to advance Sustainable Development Goals by enabling data-driven insights and optimizations. In this analysis, we review 792 articles that explore AI applications in Sustainable Development Goal-related research. The literature is organized along two dimensions: (1) the disciplinary spectrum, from natural sciences to the humanities, and (2) the focus, distinguishing economic from socioecological content. Deep learning and supervised machine learning were the most prominently applied algorithms for forecasting and system optimization. However, we identify a critical gap: only a few studies combine advanced AI applications with deep sustainability expertise. Sustainability needs to strike a balance between contextualization and generalizability to provide tangible knowledge that will lead to responsible change. AI must play a central role in this process. While expectations for AI’s transformative role in sustainable development are high, its full potential remains to be realized.

AB - Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant potential to advance Sustainable Development Goals by enabling data-driven insights and optimizations. In this analysis, we review 792 articles that explore AI applications in Sustainable Development Goal-related research. The literature is organized along two dimensions: (1) the disciplinary spectrum, from natural sciences to the humanities, and (2) the focus, distinguishing economic from socioecological content. Deep learning and supervised machine learning were the most prominently applied algorithms for forecasting and system optimization. However, we identify a critical gap: only a few studies combine advanced AI applications with deep sustainability expertise. Sustainability needs to strike a balance between contextualization and generalizability to provide tangible knowledge that will lead to responsible change. AI must play a central role in this process. While expectations for AI’s transformative role in sustainable development are high, its full potential remains to be realized.

KW - Sustainability Governance

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Sustainability sciences, Communication

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105011342860&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41893-025-01598-6

DO - 10.1038/s41893-025-01598-6

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:105011342860

VL - 8

SP - 970

EP - 978

JO - Nature Sustainability

JF - Nature Sustainability

SN - 2398-9629

IS - 8

ER -

Related by journal

Mainstreaming regenerative dynamics for sustainability

Fischer, J., Farny, S., Abson, D. J., Zuin Zeidler, V., von Salisch, M., Schaltegger, S., Martín-López, B., Temperton, V. M. & Kümmerer, K., 08.2024, In: Nature Sustainability. 7, 8, p. 964–972 9 p.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

The urgent need for designing greener drugs

Brodin, T., Bertram, M. G., Arnold, K. E., Boxall, A. B. A., Brooks, B. W., Cerveny, D., Jörg, M., Kidd, K. A., Lertxundi, U., Martin, J. M., May, L. T., McCallum, E. S., Michelangeli, M., Tyler, C. R., Wong, B. B. M., Kümmerer, K. & Orive, G., 08.2024, In: Nature Sustainability. 7, 8, p. 949-951 3 p.

Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research

Practical wisdom and virtue ethics for knowledge co-production in sustainability science

Caniglia, G., Freeth, R., Lüderitz, C., Leventon, J., West, S. P., John, B., Peukert, D., Lang, D. J., von Wehrden, H., Martín-López, B., Fazey, I., Russo, F., von Wirth, T., Schlüter, M. & Vogel, C., 05.2023, In: Nature Sustainability. 6, 5, p. 493-501 9 p.

Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research

Response diversity as a sustainability strategy

Walker, B., Crépin, A. S., Nyström, M., Anderies, J. M., Andersson, E., Elmqvist, T., Queiroz, C., Barrett, S., Bennett, E., Cardenas, J. C., Carpenter, S. R., Chapin, F. S., de Zeeuw, A., Fischer, J., Folke, C., Levin, S., Nyborg, K., Polasky, S., Segerson, K., Seto, K. C., Scheffer, M., Shogren, J. F., Tavoni, A., van den Bergh, J., Weber, E. U. & Vincent, J. R., 01.06.2023, In: Nature Sustainability. 6, 6, p. 621-629 9 p.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Six modes of co-production for sustainability

Chambers, J. M., Wyborn, C., Ryan, M. E., Reid, R. S., Riechers, M., Serban, A., Bennett, N. J., Cvitanovic, C., Fernández-Giménez, M. E., Galvin, K. A., Goldstein, B. E., Klenk, N. L., Tengö, M., Brennan, R., Cockburn, J. J., Hill, R., Munera, C., Nel, J. L., Österblom, H., Bednarek, A. T., Bennett, E. M., Brandeis, A., Charli-Joseph, L., Chatterton, P., Curran, K., Dumrongrojwatthana, P., Durán, A. P., Fada, S. J., Gerber, J. D., Green, J. M. H., Guerrero, A. M., Haller, T., Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Leimona, B., Montana, J., Rondeau, R., Spierenburg, M., Steyaert, P., Zaehringer, J. G., Gruby, R., Hutton, J. & Pickering, T., 11.2021, In: Nature Sustainability. 4, 11, p. 983-996 14 p.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Other publications by the same author(s)

A critical analysis of the policy potential for sustainable agriculture in India

Chauhan, N. & von Wehrden, H., 12.2025, In: Discover Sustainability. 6, 1, 13 p., 233.

Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research

Dichotomy or continuum? A global review of the interaction between autonomous and planned adaptations

Maskell, G., Shukla, R., Jagannathan, K., Browne, K., Ulibarri, N., Campbell, D., Franz, C. P., Grady, C., Joe, E. T., Kirchhoff, C. J., Madhavan, M., Michaud, L., Sharma, S., Singh, C., Orlove, B., Alverio, G. N., Ajibade, I., Bowen, K. J., Chauhan, N., Galappaththi, E. K., Hudson, A. J., Mach, K. J., Musah-Surugu, J. I., Petzold, J., Reckien, D., Schauberger, B., Segnon, A. C., van Bavel, B. & Gornott, C., 02.2025, In: Ecology and Society. 30, 1, 39 p., 18.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Diversity on a small scale: phylogeography of the locally endemic dwarf succulent genus Oophytum (Aizoaceae) in the Knersvlakte of South Africa

Schmidt, S. A., Schmiedel, U., Carstens, F., Rau, A.-L. & Rudolph-Bartsch, B., 01.04.2025, In: Annals of Botany. 135, 4, p. 735-756 22 p.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Effectiveness of the world network of biosphere reserves in maintaining forest ecosystem functions

Gohr, C., von Wehrden, H., Saatchi, S., Pettorelli, N. & Ibisch, P. L., 12.2025, In: Communications Earth & Environment. 6, 1, 10 p., 83.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Investigating values and environmental attitudes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Detjen, L., Schröder, S., Schwenck, M., Summa, J., Schreiber, J. & von Wehrden, H., 20.01.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. 15 p.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

DOI

Recently viewed