Generative artificial intelligence for adopting circular economy in supply chains: opportunities, challenges, and future pathways
Abstract
The circular economy (CE) and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can work together to address supply chain sustainability and sustainability issues generally.We provide a perspective on how GenAI's core capabilities -technical intelligence, creative and cognitive augmentation, decision intelligence, and interaction -may enable CE implementation using the ReSOLVE CE framework.Regenerative agriculture, corporate logistics, product design, and waste valorisation are some practice areas that will be used to illustrate how GenAI can support narrowing, slowing, and closing resource loops -central principles of CE.Critical challenges -such as limited GenAI circular awareness, social and environmental concerns, and validation -may also constrain GenAI in CE and by extension to sustainable supply chains.Within this context, a forward-looking research agenda is proposed using various theoretical perspectives.This perspective aims to guide scholars, practitioners, and policymakers in leveraging GenAI as a catalyst for regenerative, inclusive, and scalable circular supply chains and a sustainable CE.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Resilience and Risk Management
Digital Transformation in Industry
Publication details
- Journal / source
- International Journal of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Business
- Publisher
- Inderscience Publishers
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 1/2
- Pages
- 8–35
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN