The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Driving Renewable Energy Transition from the Current Landscape to Future Pathways

The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy (RE) is a key component in achieving global sustainability and dealing with climate change. Natural resources, such as sunlight, air, water, and biomass, have tremendous potential to create clean energy; however, exploiting these resources in an efficient, stable, and large-scale integration manner is difficult due to their variable and distributed nature. Artificial intelligence (AI) approaches that mimic human learning and decision-making have recently become viable approaches to solve renewable energy problems. This study mainly examines the current landscape of AI applications across solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, ocean, hydrogen, bioenergy, and hybrid energy systems. Findings indicate that AI enhances renewable energy forecasting, improves power system frequency analysis and stability assessments, and optimizes dispatch and distribution networks. Beyond technical optimization, AI also contributes to broader sustainability goals, including energy efficiency improvements, intelligent smart grid management, and enabling mechanisms such as carbon trading and circular economy practices to reduce exposure to climate extremes. Drawing on evidence from a range of renewable energy areas, this study highlights the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in bridging the link between technology innovation and sustainable energy management. This paper discusses potential future research avenues, such as building sophisticated AI designs, energy-efficient chips, and data communication networks. Ultimately, the synergy between AI and renewable energy systems represents not only a technological advancement but also a transformative pathway toward a resilient, low-carbon future.