AI and big data technologies have been increasingly deployed to process complex, heterogeneous, high-resolution environmental data, and generate results at greater speeds and higher accuracies to facilitate environmental decision-making. However, current attempts to develop reliable AI and big data technologies for environmental decision-making are still inadequate. In this special issue, AI for Social Good: AI and Big Data Approaches for Environmental Decision-Making, we attempt to address the following important questions: What are the conditions for AI and big data technologies to facilitate environmental decision-making? How can AI and big data be used to facilitate environmental decision-making? Do AI and big data serve those most at risk of environmental pollution? Who should own and govern AI and big data? This special issue brings together researchers in relevant fields of AI and environmental science to address these pertinent questions. First, we will review the existing works which attempt to address these four questions. Second, we summarize the significance and novelty of six articles included in our special issue in addressing these four questions. Finally, we highlight the important principles of AI for Social Good, which can help distinguish good from bad environmental decisions based on AI and big data technologies.

人工智能和大数据技术越来越多地用于处理复杂、异构、高分辨率的环境数据，并以更快的速度和更高的精度生成结果，以促进环境决策。然而，目前为环境决策开发可靠的人工智能和大数据技术的尝试仍然不足。在本期特刊“社会公益的人工智能：环境决策的人工智能和大数据方法”中，我们试图解决以下重要问题：人工智能和大数据技术促进环境决策的条件是什么？如何利用人工智能和大数据促进环境决策？人工智能和大数据是否服务于环境污染风险最高的人群？谁应该拥有和管理人工智能和大数据？本期特刊汇集了人工智能和环境科学相关领域的研究人员，以解决这些相关问题。首先，我们将回顾试图解决这四个问题的现有工作。其次，我们总结了我们特刊中的六篇文章在解决这四个问题方面的意义和新颖性。最后，我们强调了 AI for Social Good 的重要原则，这有助于区分基于 AI 和大数据技术的环境决策的好与坏。