Artificial Intelligence and Technology Adoption in Sustainable Protection of Natural Resources and Environmental Setting

Abstract

The Philippines faces challenges in using artificial intelligence (AI) to protect natural resources, including limited digital infrastructure, unequal access to technology, high costs, limited technical skills, weak policy support, cybersecurity concerns, inadequate data, and gaps in local research and regional access. Hence, there is a need to examine how AI can be appropriately used and integrated into natural resource protection while considering the environmental needs, technological capacity, and local context. This study explored how AI technology adoption could help in the protection and preservation of natural resources in the Philippines based on the narratives from environmental experts and sustainability advocates. There were 18 AI and environmental experts, sustainability advocates from Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines who responded to the request for one-on-one interview. Narratives from the interviews were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis to identify important themes. The findings revealed that AI can support the protection of natural resources through responsible and ethical AI education, broader community access, curriculum integration, direct environmental applications, decision-making, AI-based environmental monitoring, and stakeholder collaboration. Participants emphasized that learners need to develop not only technical AI skills but also critical thinking and ethical awareness to evaluate AI outputs and use the technology responsibly. Meanwhile, effective AI adoption requires continuous support from schools, government agencies, businesses, environmental organizations, and communities in terms of resources, training, policies, and technical assistance. This study points to the need for a localized AI framework for natural resource protection in the Philippines that can guide responsible AI use, strengthen community participation, and promote collaboration among educational institutions, government, industry, researchers, and local communities.