Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Sustainable Practices in Digital Marketing

This study investigates the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for sustainable practices in digital marketing, exploring how intelligent systems can integrate environmental, social, and ethical objectives into business performance. Adopting a conceptual–empirical hybrid approach, the research develops and validates an AI–Sustainability Catalyst Model comprising four interrelated dimensions: Data Optimization, Behavioral Insight, Strategic Integration, and Governance. Drawing on systematic literature synthesis and exploratory interviews with marketing professionals, the study reveals that AI reduces environmental impact through data efficiency, promotes ethical consumer engagement, embeds sustainability metrics into managerial decision-making, and reinforces transparency through algorithmic governance. The findings demonstrate that AI functions not merely as a technical tool but as a transformative agent capable of aligning innovation with accountability. Theoretically, the research extends the traditional triple bottom line by introducing ethical governance as a fourth sustainability pillar, while managerially, it offers a roadmap for embedding sustainability into AI design and analytics. Overall, the study positions AI-driven marketing as a dynamic ecosystem where technological progress and sustainability objectives converge to create responsible and resilient value creation.