The role of innovation in artificial intelligence for place-sensitive environmental policy and practice

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is predicted to reshape the economy and governance landscape in the United Kingdom (UK), with projections suggesting a £400 billion contribution to GDP by 2030. Amidst this momentum, the UK Government has published its AI Opportunities Action Plan, outlining a national strategy for technological leadership. However, as policy and investment accelerate, questions are emerging on the environmental cost of AI and its potential role in supporting nature recovery and place-based regeneration.

This paper examines these issues, offering an assessment of how AI intersects with nature recovery goals. Two UK-based case studies are included (the Royal Horticultural Society and Ambios Ltd) and they collectively demonstrate how AI can be configured to work with, rather than against, local knowledge, community values and outcomes for nature recovery. They also highlight key tensions, particularly around the balance between individual agency and AI-enabled decision-making. The cases suggest that AI must not be seen as a silver bullet, but as a strategic enabler that requires deliberate, place-sensitive integration.

The central message for policymakers is the importance of proactively embedding environmental objectives into the UK’s AI agenda, ensuring that environmental governance and nature recovery activities keep pace with the speed of technological innovation.

Key themes

Artificial intelligence, nature recovery, place-sensitivity, policy, governance, local knowledge, public value

Dr Jack Reed is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the ESRC-funded Nature Recovery and Regional Development (NaRReD) project. He is affiliated with the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) in Penryn, Cornwall, and also works in the Land, Environment, Economics and Policy Institute (LEEP) in Exeter. Jack works at the forefront of interdisciplinary research exploring how nature recovery intersects with rural economies, technologies and public policy.