Artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability and justice: towards a comprehensive legal framework for ethical technological development
Abstract
This study analyzes how artificial intelligence, sustainability, and environmental justice relate, proposing a comprehensive way of looking at the entire AI lifecycle. It is critical that algorithmic justice be applied at different levels to address local, national, and international inequalities. It is also key to protect data as common goods and prevent its digital exploitation. Furthermore, we need models of government where citizens participate and have democratic control, including the most vulnerable communities. Socio-ecological resilience is an important legal principle for adapting regulations to the risks and uncertainties of technology. To conclude, four relevant limitations to the current use of artificial intelligence for sustainability will be reviewed: disciplinary distortion, the invisibility of its environmental impact, the limited presence of environmental justice, and the limited community participation. These challenges must be addressed in order to rethink the development of a more critical yet inclusive AI.
Received: 14 August 2025
Accepted: 20 October 2025
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Last update: 08/02/2022
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