AUTHOR=Facuy Jussen , Arcos-Jacome Diego 
  
TITLE=Bridging computational power and environmental challenges: a perspective on neural network predictive models for environmental engineering
  
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence
  
VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2025
  
YEAR=2026
  
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1708369
  
DOI=10.3389/frai.2025.1708369
  
ISSN=2624-8212
  
ABSTRACT=The escalating frequency and severity of extreme environmental events underscores the critical need for a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive management strategies. This perspective article argues that artificial neural networks (ANNs) represent a transformative tool for environmental forecasting, capable of capturing the non-linear, high-dimensional dynamics that define complex Earth systems. While ANNs demonstrate superior predictive performance across domains such as hydrology, air quality, and ecology, their integration into decision-making workflows remains hindered by challenges related to data quality, model interpretability, and a lack of interdisciplinary collaboration. We synthesize current advancements, highlighting the pivotal role of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) and explainable AI (XAI) in bridging the gap between data-driven insights and physical plausibility. Finally, we propose a concrete interdisciplinary roadmap, encompassing curated benchmarks, hybrid modeling, educational initiatives, and institutional co-design, to translate computational potential into trustworthy, actionable tools for building environmental resilience.