Artificial intelligence technology in environmental research and health: Development and prospects

As the research in the environmental field continues to delve into deeper mechanisms, the traditional research paradigm has become inadequate. The introduction of artificial intelligence technology has provided a clear definition for the “green technology revolution”. Compared with traditional methods, AI has achieved a significant improvement in computational efficiency in environmental data analysis, reducing decision-making time by more than 60%. This effectively supports the efficient resolution of complex environmental issues. Meanwhile, the rapid leap-forward development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is giving rise to a green technological revolution in environmental research. Based on this survey and the developing Digital Catalysis Platform, this commentary systematically summarizes the typical applications of AI in five major areas: treatment of water pollution, control of air pollution, disposal of solid waste, remediation of soil, and environmental health. It focuses on analyzing the remarkable effectiveness demonstrated by AI through machine learning (ML) methods. Such effectiveness is shown in aspects like material screening, performance prediction, instant detection, global distribution simulation of pollutants, and the control of human health. Notably, the current large-scale application of AI technology in the environmental field still faces multiple challenges, especially the scarcity of data samples in complex environmental systems. For instance, small-sample models to overfit, and the uneven geographical coverage of observational data in global pollutant distribution prediction. They all urgently need to be solved. In response to the above-mentioned bottlenecks, this study proposes corresponding solutions. As the technological bottlenecks are gradually overcome, AI is expected to become the core driving force for promoting environmentally sustainable development and contribute to the achievement of the “dual carbon” goals and the restoration of the global ecosystem.