New report explores opportunities and limitations of using AI in environmental regulation and risk management

Environmental challenges are growing in complexity and public agencies are under pressure to respond quickly with limited resources. Together with IPUR Visiting Fellow Marla Orenstein, we developed a new report to offer practical guidance on how artificial intelligence (AI) can help.

Titled Using AI to assess and manage environmental risk: a toolkit for the public sector, the report outlines how AI is being used around the world to monitor ecosystems, detect violations, plan for disasters, manage resources, and engage stakeholders. Real-world examples – from flood prediction in India to illegal timber detection in Romania – highlight the practical value of AI in decision-making.

It explores both the opportunities and limitations of using AI in environmental regulation and risk management – offering real-world use cases, practical guidance, and a call for responsible, transparent adoption across the public sector. Some environmental risk areas outlined in the report where AI can be useful include environmental monitoring, where AI helps synthesise massive and diverse data sources – such as satellite imagery, sensors, and field reports – for real-time insight and prediction, and compliance and violation detection, where AI can analyse imagery and sensor data to detect pollution, illegal activity, or regulatory breaches that would otherwise go unnoticed.

As AI continues to evolve, this toolkit offers a balanced roadmap for using it to enhance – not replace – human judgment in managing environmental risk.