Models of development sociology in the age of artificial intelligence: a PRISMA-guided scoping review of global research trends (2020–2025)

Introduction – This study presents a PRISMA-guided scoping review of global research trends in the sociology of development during the period 2020–2025, with particular emphasis on the emerging intersection between development studies and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Methods – Thirty-five peer-reviewed studies were systematically selected from the Scopus, SAGE, Wiley, and JSTOR databases. A systematic search strategy and qualitative content analysis were employed to identify the dominant thematic areas, theoretical frameworks, and methodological approaches in the reviewed literature. Results – Social development emerged as the most prominent research theme, accounting for 28.6% of the reviewed studies, followed by social justice (17.1%), social policy (14.3%), and sustainable development (11.4%). Explicit engagement with AI-related perspectives remained limited. Qualitative approaches constituted the dominant methodological paradigm (60%), with case studies and participatory research being the most frequently employed methods, whereas quantitative and computational approaches remained comparatively limited. Discussion – The reviewed literature revealed limited theoretical and methodological integration of AI within development sociology, highlighting the need for innovative interdisciplinary approaches. The study concludes that the sociology of development is moving toward greater theoretical pluralism and methodological diversity; however, stronger integration with digital transformation and AI-enabled development research remains necessary.