The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Place Branding Research: A Scoping Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

As destinations compete in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven global economy, place branding research must continue to strive and unlock AI's potential for authentic, competitive, and sustainable place brand development. This study maps existing literature on AI applications in place branding research. Specifically, it aims to: (a) contextualize AI-related place branding research by study type, temporal development, and geographical coverage; (b) determine the scope by identifying research goals and objects of study; and (c) examine methodological approaches, including AI technologies used and data sources. Following JBI and PRISMA-ScR protocols, a systematic scoping review analyzed 56 studies (2010–2025), identifying five research gaps. In a second phase, we complement these gaps by identifying advances in the adjacent domains of public diplomacy and branding. While AI provides the technical capacity and urgent impetus for comprehensive studies, findings reveal that research remains constrained by a case-centric orientation, a discrepancy that underscores the urgent need to adopt a holistic lens. Although some systemic challenges appear to be shared with adjacent fields of knowledge, insights from branding and public diplomacy are highlighted to provide guidance to address their knowledge gaps. We conclude by providing a ten-point research agenda advancing AI integration in place branding research.