Artificial Intelligence leads to Circular Economy: A Bibliometric Review and Future Agenda

Authors

  • Zuhair Abbas Department of Creative Communication, Faculty of Creative Industries, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania
  • Jaroslav Belas Faculty of Social and Economic Relations, Alexander Dubček University in Trenčín, Slovakia
  • Rasa Smaliukiene Department of Creative Communication, Faculty of Creative Industries, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34190/icair.5.1.4324

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence, Circular Economy, Bibliometric Review, Big Data Models, Digital Supply Chains

Abstract

Despite extensive research on industry 4.0 and circular economy (CE). There is limited research on nexus between artificial intelligence (AI) and circular economy. AI seems to be driving force for revolutionizing in businesses and industries for unlocking economic, environmental, and social benefits. We investigated how AI transform from linear to circular business models. Authors selected 105 peer-reviewed articles from Web of Science database by using bibiliometric analysis. Authors analyzed the data by using VoSviewer Software. The four core clusters were identified, (1) circular economy a pathway to sustainable business management, (2) big data models enhance CE outcomes, (3) I4.0 technologies leads to future of CE and (4) digitalized supply chains for sustainable development. This review advances our understanding on AI and circular economy in the existing literature due to less focus by prior scholars. More importantly, this review contributes to shifting the focus to technological perspective within circular economy, diverging from traditional linear model based on economic views. This review suggested companies should adopt AI as it plays a pivotal role in facilitating the shift to a circular economy by reshaping and enhancing existing models of product design, manufacturing, consumption, repair, regeneration, recovery, and end-of-life management while simultaneously improving the efficiency of waste management. This research provides fresh perspectives on AI and CE to better understand AI as an opportunity rather than cost due to ongoing fourth industrial revolution.

Author Biographies

Zuhair Abbas, Department of Creative Communication, Faculty of Creative Industries, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania

Zuhair Abbas is working as a Research Assistant at the Department of Creative Communication, Faculty of Creative Industries, at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania. He holds a Ph.D. in Management from Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic, Europe. He had presented 12 research papers at well-reputed international conferences. He is a member of the British Academy of Management, United Kingdom. He is also a Certified Management & Business Educator from Chartered Associations of Business Schools, United Kingdom.

Jaroslav Belas, Faculty of Social and Economic Relations, Alexander Dubček University in Trenčín, Slovakia

Jaroslav Belas is working as a Professor at the Faculty of Social and Economic Relations, Alexander Dubček University in Trenčín, Slovakia. He has authored 9 monographs and published 70 scientific works in prestigious journals as a result of his research activities. Currently, he oversees five scientific projects.

Rasa Smaliukiene, Department of Creative Communication, Faculty of Creative Industries, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania

Rasa Smaliukiene is working as a Professor in the Department of Creative Communication, Faculty of Creative Industries, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania. Her research focuses on organisational resilience and stress management, human behaviour, resilience and sustainability. She had published several articles in the repurted peer-reviewed journals.

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Published

2025-12-04

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on AI Research (ICAIR 2025)

Section

Academic