The accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence across an increasing number of sectors during the coronavirus crisis means it will soon become a general purpose technology. But critical improvements that it may bring, including for sustainability, will not come solely from AI but from the understanding of, and engagement with, how the technology interfaces with the existing economic, environmental, social and political world, write Marjorie Buchser and Matthew Oxenford.

While AI applications to decarbonize heavy industries are promising, a focus on process optimization over its more radical use could limit its potential. However, establishing knowledge bases and policy frameworks to foster innovation could speed up the application of AI to disrupt business-as-usual operations and deliver decarbonization.

Built environments have the potential to transform from primarily 'users' of natural resources to 'providers' of societal value, which in turn can create infrastructure that is in harmony with people and nature. But to reach this goal stakeholders must be aligned behind this ambition.

Although there is a long way to go before the true implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are known, the crisis does offer a rare opportunity for reflection on how to inform a better response to the other defining emergency of our times — climate change.