A Systematic Analysis of AI Trends in Environmental Research

While artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into environmental research, a systematic evaluation of this integration remains limited. In response to this, we analyzed a representative sample of 106 articles from Nature and Science (2014–2024) to assess AI’s role in addressing the environmental crisis. As we argue, a substantial imbalance emerges, with 72.1% of the studies reported in these articles focusing on forecasting, 21.2% on impact assessment, and only 6.7% on mitigation. Notably, 78.3% reference prior non-AI approaches, indicating that AI is often used for already-addressed environmental challenges. Most studies rely on standard machine learning techniques and remain at early development stages. Optimism about AI’s potential has increased over time; however, high novelty AI uses remain exploratory and rarely operational. These findings highlight trends in how AI is portrayed, deployed, and aligned with environmental priorities, and the importance of reflecting on their implications.