Huella ecológica digital: análisis del impacto ambiental de la educación virtual y optimización mediante IA

Objective: The study aimed to analyze the digital ecological footprint associated with virtual education, identifying the main factors that influence its environmental impact and exploring the potential of artificial intelligence as a tool for optimization and environmental mitigation. Methodology: A qualitative, bibliographic-documentary study was conducted, based on a systematic search in SCOPUS and Dimensions.ai. Through a rigorous selection and thematic filtering process, a final corpus of studies published between 2021 and 2025 was compiled, which were analyzed using documentary analysis matrices and content analysis techniques. Results: The results showed that, although there is a growing volume of research on ICT and sustainability, only a small proportion explicitly addresses the environmental impact of virtual education. It was noted that there are more macroeconomic and sectoral approaches, and that few specific environmental indicators are used for digital educational environments. It was also observed that artificial intelligence has been studied primarily as a tool to improve technological efficiency, with little focus on how it can reduce the ecological impact of education. Conclusions: It was determined that the digital ecological footprint of virtual education is a topic understudied in scientific literature, highlighting the need for concrete research that integrates sustainability, digital education, and artificial intelligence. The study provides evidence for developing educational strategies that promote an environmentally friendly digital transformation and suggests future research focused on measuring and ecologically improving online learning environments.