Automated Decision-Making and Environmental Impact Assessments: Decisions, Data Analysis and Predictions

This article critically examines the opportunities and challenges that automated decision-making (ADM) poses for environmental impact assessments (EIAs) as a crucial aspect of law. It argues while fully or partially automating discretionary EIA decisions is legally technically problematic, there significant potential data-driven tools to provide superior analysis predictions better inform processes. Discretionary desirable given inherent complexity associated with regulation prediction future impacts. demonstrates current ADM cannot adequately replicate human processes EIAs—even if oversight review outputs. Instead decisions, can be more appropriately deployed enhance data optimise latter type augment without displacing critical role discretion in weighing complex environmental, social economic considerations determinations.