China’s Provinces Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Green Horizons: A Provincial Analysis of China's Stride Towards Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Next-generation information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI) can support environmental improvement, climate change response, and the conservation and efficient use of resources for green transformation, potentially impacting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study estimates the impact of AI on five SDGs using provincial panel data from 2006 to 2018. The estimation results indicate that AI makes a significant contribution to sustainable development, a finding that has been confirmed through a series of robustness tests. Furthermore, the mechanistic analysis demonstrates that AI primarily promotes sustainable development by enhancing energy structure and technological innovation. The greater the reduction in dependence on fossil fuels and the higher the degree of technological innovation, tthe greater the effectiveness of AI in promoting sustainable development. Furthermore, the regional heterogeneity test revealed that the effect  in enhancing sustainability achieved by AI is most effective in the central and western regions, with the eastern region following closely behind.