Artificial intelligence, green innovation efficiency, and public health benefits: evidence from China's pilot zones with a DID approach.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

China has established Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zones (AIDP) to promote industrial upgrading and digital transformation. This study evaluates whether these AI oriented policies enhance firm-level green innovation efficiency (GIE) and generate potential environmental and health benefits.

Methods

Using panel data of Chinese firms from 2011 to 2022, we employed a difference-in-differences (DID) design exploiting the staggered implementation of AIDP as a quasi-experiment. The estimation identifies the causal effects of AIDP on green R&D efficiency and green innovation output efficiency, measured by DEA-based indicators and patent productivity.

Results

The DID estimates show that AIDP increases firms' green R&D efficiency by appr

SUBMITTER: Zhang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12669213 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature