May AI be sustainable? An outlook on sustainability and technology

Review article, 2026

The paper studies two of the most relevant tendencies of the modern world, which will change the way we live and think. The first tendency is the development of sustainable societies, which already significantly affects global technologies, policy, and economics. The second tendency is the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence, whose applications and capabilities are expanding at an extraordinary pace. The development of Sustainable AI is at the intersection of those tendencies. Progress in this field will shape the basics and the ground rules for applying AI in future societies. The present paper discusses the terms and definitions of Sustainable AI and reviews its existing and potential applications in different domains of science, technology, economics, and policy. Besides, the study analyses tendencies potentially leading to non-sustainable AI and reflects on how to avoid the corresponding complications.