Artificial Intelligence Applications for Increasing Resource Efficiency in Manufacturing Companies—A Comprehensive Review

Lara Waltersmann,Alexander Sauer,Julian Stuhlsatz,Robert Miehe,Steffen Kiemel

doi:10.3390/su13126689

Lara Waltersmann, Alexander Sauer + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126689

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Abstract

Sustainability improvements in industrial production are essential for tackling climate change and the resulting ecological crisis. In this context, resource efficiency can directly lead to significant advancements in the ecological performance of manufacturing companies. The application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) also plays an increasingly important role. However, the potential influence of AI applications on resource efficiency has not been investigated. Against this background, this article provides an overview of the current AI applications and how they affect resource efficiency. In line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this paper identifies, categorizes, and analyzes seventy papers with a focus on AI tasks, AI methods, business units, and their influence on resource efficiency. Only a minority of papers was found to address resource efficiency as an explicit objective. Subsequently, typical use cases of the identified AI applications are described with a focus on predictive maintenance, production planning, fault detection and predictive quality, as well as the increase in energy efficiency. In general, more research is needed that explicitly considers sustainability in the development and use phase of AI solutions, including Green AI. This paper contributes to research in this field by systematically examining papers and revealing research deficits. Additionally, practitioners are offered the first indications of AI applications increasing resource efficiency.

Highlights

The results of the latest assessment reports of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) unambiguously reveal the need for action concerning the diminution of human-caused environmentally harmful emissions [1]
To address climate change and the pressing environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss, the integration of sustainability into business operations is becoming increasingly important for companies and a key competitive advantage
Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications are becoming more relevant for practice and attractive for companies, due to current developments in the IT field

Summary

Introduction

The results of the latest assessment reports of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) unambiguously reveal the need for action concerning the diminution of human-caused environmentally harmful emissions [1]. Based on the year 2010, the industry sector accounts for approximately 21% of the global emissions of greenhouse gases [1]. These emissions occur due to the consumption of resources during production. The emission intensity of resources increases with every subsequent step in the upstream supply chain. The increase in resource efficiency is of pivotal relevance in addressing ecological challenges of current and future times. This progress needs to be accompanied by the widespread implementation of sufficiency and consistency approaches in economy and society [2]. Whatever the reasons for this may be—regulations becoming more stringent or the intrinsic motivation of decision makers, employees, and customers—

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