Leveraging artificial intelligence for sustainable customer relationship management: A critical review and a conceptual framework

Businesses are increasingly compelled to embrace sustainability in all operational aspects, demanding a holistic integration of environmental, economic, and social considerations. The capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze complex data, predict trends, and automate processes offer unprecedented opportunities to address environmental challenges while fostering economic growth and social well-being. This study specifically examines the integration of AI within customer relationship management (CRM) strategies and practices, aiming to reveal its potential to reshape the traditional CRM value chain toward sustainability-driven models. By conducting a systematic review of the literature at the intersection of AI, CRM, and sustainability, this research investigates whether and how AI can promote and/or hinder the integration of sustainability issues into CRM, outlining the main sustainability aspects and the AI applications employed. Finally, a conceptual framework is presented that provides a comprehensive view of how AI can expand and enrich the CRM value chain, fostering a more active and sustainability-oriented interaction with customers. Through this research, we aim to advance the understanding of AI's role in transforming CRM practices and driving disruptive sustainability agendas, paving the way for future empirical investigations and strategic implementations. • AI and related technologies reshape CRM strategies by aligning with sustainability goals and trends. • Our study addresses gaps in AI's role in sustainability-oriented CRM practices. • A novel framework integrates AI into sustainability-oriented CRM value chains. • Key future research directions for AI-powered, sustainability-oriented CRM outlined.