# LCAi: Life Cycle Assessment with big data fusion and retrieval-augmented generation-assisted interpretation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.26857 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.26857/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 10 of its 37 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 25 Jun 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 10 of 10)

- [Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge-Intensive NLP Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.11401/) (2020)
- [The Faiss library](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.08281/) (2024)
- [The Troubling Emergence of Hallucination in Large Language Models -- An Extensive Definition, Quantification, and Prescriptive Remediations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.04988/) (2023)
- [Data-efficient Fine-tuning for LLM-based Recommendation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.17197/) (2024)
- [Learning Dynamics of LLM Finetuning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.10490/) (2024)
- [HalluLens: LLM Hallucination Benchmark](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.17550/) (2025)
- [RAG vs Fine-tuning: Pipelines, Tradeoffs, and a Case Study on Agriculture](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.08406/) (2024)
- [LLM Inference Serving: Survey of Recent Advances and Opportunities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.12391/) (2024)
- [Fine Tuning LLM for Enterprise: Practical Guidelines and Recommendations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.10779/) (2024)
- [Small Language Models Offer Significant Potential for Science Community](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.18890/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The interpretation phase of life cycle assessment often lacks structured mechanisms for translating quantified improvement opportunities addressing environmental hotspots into actionable strategic pathways under technological, social, and policy uncertainty. To overcome this limitation, this study introduces a perspective-conditioned retrieval-augmented generation framework for LCA interpretation, where a multi-perspective retrieval and controlled synthesis is incorporated in the artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted LCA. To operationalise large language models in LCA interpretation, a perspective fusion RAG architecture was developed, covering academic, industry, public discourse, and European union (EU) funding datasets. Our approach comprises three steps: (1) a scenario anchor defining system boundaries and decarbonization targets, (2) a set of perspective-specific micro-queries with constrained retrieval, and (3) a neutral synthesis step integrating only ledger-stored outputs without further retrieval. The framework is demonstrated through a hydrogen-enabled diesel reduction use case in an Italian apple production facility using GPT-5 nano as the reasoning model. Overall, the structured retrieval and constrained synthesis are designed to mitigate the risk of hallucination while preserving cross-domain diversity. The approach presented can support more disciplined translation of impact results into strategic pathways and opens up new avenues for the use of advanced AI tools in LCA studies, particularly those focused on technologies that could be deployed at scale. This proof-of-concept demonstrates how AI-assisted, evidence-grounded interpretation can support implementation-oriented decision-making beyond conventional LCA studies.