Exploring the Pathways of Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development in the Era of Industrial Revolutions: A Bibliometric Analysis and Future Research Agenda

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly pivotal role in driving innovation and promoting sustainable development across various sectors amid the ongoing wave of industrial revolutions. However, the existing research lacks a systematic and quantitative overview of how AI contributes to sustainability goals. This study addresses this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis of 101 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection, using the keywords “sustainab*”, “artificial intelligence”, and “industrial revolution”. Analytical tools such as VOSviewer and Scimago Graphica were employed to generate keyword co-occurrence maps, publication trends, and research collaboration networks. The results show that scholarly interest in the intersection of AI and sustainability has significantly increased since 2018, with rapid growth in publication and citation numbers. Keyword clustering reveals five major research themes: intelligent technologies, sustainability-focused innovation, industrial transformation, digital integration, and collaborative ecosystems. Moreover, overlay and density visualisations demonstrate a clear evolution from early theoretical innovations to recent application-driven and governance-oriented research. This study contributes to the literature by mapping the intellectual landscape of this interdisciplinary field and providing a strategic foundation for future research directions aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, future research should explore the integration of AI with circular economy practices to enhance sustainable production. It should also address the development of governance and ethical frameworks for AI-driven decision-making in sustainability contexts. In addition, scholars are encouraged to expand cross-industry applications of AI to accelerate progress toward multiple SDGs.