Are AI and environmental technology innovations converging?

IF 12.9 1区社会学 Q1 SOCIAL ISSUES

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2026-06-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-06 DOI:10.1016/j.techsoc.2026.103222

Kyle S. Herman , Tatiana Gaitan Amortegui , Steve Griffiths

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly invoked as a means of advancing climate and environmental solutions, yet how it shapes environmental technology (ET) development remains poorly understood. This study addresses that gap by asking: To what extent are AI and ETs converging, and which specific domains are driving this integration? To investigate these questions, we have constructed a new dataset of nearly 8000 AI-environmental (AI-ENVI) patents filed at the USPTO from 2003 through 2023. Drawing on this dataset, we perform semantic reclassification followed by forward citation mapping to identify influential innovations and to evaluate prominent domains of technological convergence. We find that three fields dominate: renewable energy optimization, electric vehicles, and fossil fuel efficiency/industrial decarbonization. To probe further, we examine metrics of novelty, disruptiveness, and generality. Novelty is highest in grid-level energy storage optimization; disruptiveness peaks in blockchain-based energy trading; and generality is strongest in the former as well as energy demand forecasting. Evidence that AI applications for incumbent industries attract high forward citations, and that carbon capture and storage (CCS) emerges as a disruptive subcategory, underscores the need for appropriate policy mechanisms to avoid carbon lock-in within the ET–AI nexus.

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人工智能和环境技术创新正在融合吗？

人工智能（AI）越来越多地被用作推进气候和环境解决方案的手段，但人们对它如何影响环境技术（ET）的发展仍知之甚少。本研究通过以下问题解决了这一差距：人工智能和人工智能在多大程度上融合，哪些特定领域推动了这种融合？为了研究这些问题，我们构建了一个新的数据集，其中包含了从2003年到2023年在USPTO申请的近8000项ai -环境（AI-ENVI）专利。利用该数据集，我们执行语义重新分类，然后进行前向引用映射，以识别有影响力的创新并评估突出的技术融合领域。我们发现三个领域占主导地位：可再生能源优化、电动汽车和化石燃料效率/工业脱碳。为了进一步探讨，我们研究了新颖性、破坏性和普遍性的指标。电网级储能优化的新颖性最高；基于区块链的能源交易的破坏性达到顶峰；前者和能源需求预测的通用性最强。有证据表明，现有行业的人工智能应用吸引了较高的前瞻性引用，碳捕获和封存（CCS）成为一个颠覆性的子类别，这突显了需要适当的政策机制来避免ET-AI关系中的碳锁定。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Technology in Society Multiple-

CiteScore

17.90

自引率

14.10%

发文量

316

审稿时长

60 days

期刊介绍： Technology in Society is a global journal dedicated to fostering discourse at the crossroads of technological change and the social, economic, business, and philosophical transformation of our world. The journal aims to provide scholarly contributions that empower decision-makers to thoughtfully and intentionally navigate the decisions shaping this dynamic landscape. A common thread across these fields is the role of technology in society, influencing economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Scholarly work in Technology in Society delves into the social forces shaping technological decisions and the societal choices regarding technology use. This encompasses scholarly and theoretical approaches (history and philosophy of science and technology, technology forecasting, economic growth, and policy, ethics), applied approaches (business innovation, technology management, legal and engineering), and developmental perspectives (technology transfer, technology assessment, and economic development). Detailed information about the journal's aims and scope on specific topics can be found in Technology in Society Briefings, accessible via our Special Issues and Article Collections.