AI ‐Enhanced Laser Manufacturing: A Social Life Cycle Perspective From the White Goods Industry

ABSTRACT Sustainable manufacturing transitions require companies to demonstrate not only environmental and economic benefits, but also measurable advances in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Therefore, we propose using a guideline‐based Social Life Cycle Assessment (S‐LCA) aligned with UNEP (2020) and ISO 14075 (2024) to evaluate the social performance of this transition in the case of introducing AI‐assisted ultrashort‐pulsed laser mould texturing in dishwasher manufacturing. The assessment covers 238 companies across the value chain and five stakeholder groups. Twenty subcategories were examined using conditional sensitivity analysis to capture context‐specific changes, complemented by stakeholder weighting and pedigree matrix. Results suggest moderate improvements in social performance, primarily driven by enhanced occupational health and safety and improved consumer well‐being. The aggregated score increases progressively across all scenarios, indicating a consistent positive trend in CSR‐related performance under the assessment's assumptions. The findings suggest that S‐LCA can support CSR evaluation in an advanced manufacturing context, contributing to managerial decision‐making regarding the adoption of sustainable technologies.