Behind the collection: Applying Artificial Intelligence Techniques to Encourage Economic Growth and Maintain Sustainable Societies
BY Dr. Chih-Chun Kung
In the latest Science Progress (IF 1.512) Special Collection, several international Guest Editors teamed up to encourage new findings and innovative research that explore the application of AI in achieving social sustainability, considering local, regional, and national characteristics. Topics include theoretical frameworks, empirical studies integrating AI technologies, deep learning in transportation, forecasting renewable energy applications, and economic and environmental assessments with AI applications. Here, we chat with one of the Guest Editors, Dr. Chih-Chun Kung, to learn more about the collection and the experience of launching one.
Why did you launch this collection?
Profit-maximizing private sectors tend to overuse resources by equating their own marginal benefits and marginal costs associated with production, regardless of whether the general public may suffer from their activities. This is because the private sectors either do not understand the environmental and economic consequences they imposed on others or have no intention (and sometimes are unable) to internalize the negative externalities properly. As a result, the resources (land, capital, water, etc.) are generally not allocated efficiently. In other words, the social optimum is not attainable and thus the economic growth and societal development become unsustainable.
The recent progress of artificial intelligence (AI) makes the optimal allocation of a country’s resources feasible because the efficiency of civil planning can be greatly improved. For example, with the application of deep learning techniques and big data analysis, most of the previously unincorporated or unknow information associated with firm’s activities can be appropriately reflected and calculated, and once the information is taken by the firms, a more efficient and economically friendly production strategy could be made.
The purpose of launching this Special Collection was to welcome insightful works addressing these issues that could be beneficial to the decision-makers, researchers, and the general public who formulate policies (i.e., to regulate production), determine investment decisions (i.e., project managers), and care about the environmental and economic sustainable issues (i.e., pollution level, abatement technology, etc.).
What do you hope the impact of the collection will be?
We hope that with the completion of this collection, more researchers can realize that the design, advances, and utilization of AI techniques are not only applicable in the fields of computer science and information engineering but also valuable in many interdisciplinary fields including renewable energy development, environmental protection, and economic analysis. For example, AI can help with optimizing the allocation of charging stations for hybrid and electric vehicles and designing optimal solar and wind power systems, deducing and combining environmental strategies in the face of climate change, and even finding possible solutions of distribution of social welfare, all of which are worth investigating by young scholars who are interested in energy security, environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and social equity.
How did you find the experience of running the collection?
We were pleased to organize this special collection because it allowed us to read brand new, insightful articles, and to invite talented researchers to contribute their valuable and meaningful work.
If you’re interested in running your own Special Collection, submit a proposal.
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