About the Journal
In Memory of Professor Jerzy Radecki
Ownership and Management Statement
Editorial Office
Editorial Board
Scope
Impact Factor
Indexed by
Journal Impact Factor contributing items
Publication Frequency
Revenue Sources & Business Model
Contact
Subscription
Current issue
Online first
Instructions for Authors
Copyright & Licensing
Publication Fees
Editorial policies
Publication Policy Overview
Peer Review Policy
Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Open Access Policy
Instructions for Reviewers
Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy
Advertising Policy
Direct Marketing & Manuscript Solicitation
Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy
CrossMark, Correction, and Retraction Policy
Archive
Publication Fees
Copyright & Licensing
Editorial policies
Publication Policy Overview
Peer Review Policy
Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy
Plagiarism Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Open Access Policy
Instructions for Reviewers
Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy
Advertising Policy
Direct Marketing & Manuscript Solicitation
Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy
CrossMark, Correction, and Retraction Policy
eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
How Does AI Development Affect Pollution
Emissions? A Regional Study of China
1
School of Economics and Management, Civil Aviation University of China
Submission date: 2025-04-19
Final revision date: 2025-07-31
Acceptance date: 2025-08-10
Online publication date: 2025-09-26
Corresponding author
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Using provincial panel data of China from 2011 to 2022, this study constructs an evaluation index
system to measure regional AI development and empirically examines its nonlinear impact on regional
pollution emissions. The findings show the following: there is a significant U-shaped relationship
between AI development and regional pollution emissions, with the effect transmitted through
an inverted U-shaped relationship with green technology innovation and energy efficiency. Heterogeneity
analysis further shows that the U-shaped relationship is only pronounced in regions southeast
of the “Hu Huanyong Line”. It exhibits greater marginal effects in areas with lower levels of
marketization. This study provides useful references for effectively empowering regional green
development through AI.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
REFERENCES (34)
1.
PLATHOTTAM S.J., RZONCA A., LAKHNORI R., ILOEJE C.O. A review of artificial intelligence applications in manufacturing operations. Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing. 5 (3), e10159, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/amp2.1....
2.
ATTARAN M., CELIK B.G. Digital Twin: Benefits, use cases, challenges, and opportunities. Decision Analytics Journal. 6, 100165, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dajo....
3.
CUÑAT NEGUEROLES S., REINOSA SIMÓN R., JULIÁN M., BELSA A., LACALLE I., S-JULIÁN R., PALAU C.E. A Blockchain-based Digital Twin for IoT deployments in logistics and transportation. Future Generation Computer Systems. 158, 73, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futu....
4.
LI Z., WANG J. The Dynamic Impact of Digital Economy on Carbon Emission Reduction: Evidence City-level Empirical Data in China. Journal of Cleaner Production. 351, 131570, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
5.
FENG C., YE X., LI J., YANG J. How does artificial intelligence affect the transformation of China's green economic growth? An analysis from internal-structure perspective. Journal of Environmental Management. 351, 119923, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenv....
6.
SHEN Y., ZHANG X. Intelligent manufacturing, green technological innovation and environmental pollution. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge. 8 (3), 100384, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.....
7.
SONG M., PAN H., SHEN Z., TAMAYO-VERLEENE K. Assessing the influence of artificial intelligence on the energy efficiency for sustainable ecological products value. Energy Economics. 131, 107392, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enec....
8.
ZHOU W., ZHUANG Y., CHEN Y. How does artificial intelligence affect pollutant emissions by improving energy efficiency and developing green technology. Energy Economics. 131, 107355, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enec....
9.
LIU L., RASOOL Z., ALI S., WANG C. Robots for sustainability: Evaluating ecological footprints in leading AI-driven industrial nations. Technology in Society. 76, 102460, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tech....
10.
USMAN A., OZTURK I., ULLAH S., HASSAN A. Does ICT have symmetric or asymmetric effects on CO2 emissions? Evidence from selected Asian economies. Technology in Society. 67, 101692, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tech....
11.
JIN X., YU W. Information and communication technology and carbon emissions in China: The rebound effect of energy intensive industry. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 32, 731, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.....
12.
LUAN F., YANG X., CHEN Y., JOSÉ REGIS P. Industrial robots and air environment: A moderated mediation model of population density and energy consumption. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 30, 870, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.....
13.
ZHOU W., ZHANG Y., LI X. Artificial intelligence, green technological progress, energy conservation, and carbon emission reduction in China: An examination based on dynamic spatial Durbin modeling. Journal of Cleaner Production. 446, 141142, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
14.
SIMON H.A. Technology and environment. Management Science. 19 (10), 1110-1121, 1973. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1....
15.
BORCH C. Machine learning, knowledge risk, and principal-agent problems in automated trading. Technology in Society. 68, 101852, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tech....
16.
XUE L., ZHANG Q., ZHANG X., LI C. Can digital transformation promote green technology innovation? Sustainability. 14 (12), 7497, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1412....
17.
BRACARENSE N., BAWACK R., WAMBA S.F., CARILLO K.D.A. Artificial intelligence and sustainability: a bibliometric analysis and future research directions. Pacific Asia Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 14 (2), 2022. https://doi.org/10.17705/1pais....
18.
SONG Y., ZHANG Y., ZHANG Z., SAHUT J.M. Artificial intelligence, digital finance, and green innovation. Global Finance Journal. 64, 101072, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfj.....
19.
PARKER G., ALSTYNE M., JIANG X. Platform ecosystems: how developers invert the firm. MIS Quarterly. 41 (1), 255, 2017. https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/....
20.
CONTI C., MANCUSI M.L., SANNA-RANDACCIO F., SESTINI R., VERDOLINI E. Transition towards a green economy in Europe: Innovation and knowledge integration in the renewable energy sector. Research Policy. 47 (10), 1996, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp....
21.
STUCKI T. Which firms benefit from investments in green energy technologies? - The effect of energy costs. Research Policy. 48 (3), 546, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp....
22.
ZHAO Q., JIANG M., ZHAO Z., LIU F., ZHOU L. The impact of green innovation on carbon reduction efficiency in China: Evidence from machine learning validation. Energy Economics. 133, 107525, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enec....
23.
FARHAD A., PYUN J.Y. AI-ERA: artificial intelligence-empowered resource allocation for LoRa-enabled IoT applications. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics. 19 (12), 11640, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/TII.20....
24.
WANG Q., SUN T., LI R. Does artificial intelligence promote green innovation? An assessment based on direct, indirect, spillover, and heterogeneity effects. Energy & Environment. 36 (2), 1005, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/095830....
25.
WANG E.Z., LEE C.C., LI Y. Assessing the impact of industrial robots on manufacturing energy intensity in 38 countries. Energy Economics. 105, 105748, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enec....
26.
TOMAZZOLI C., SCANNAPIECO S., CRISTANI M. Internet of Things and artificial intelligence enable energy efficiency. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing. 14 (5), 4933, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652....
27.
JEVONS W.S. The coal question; An inquiry concerning progress of the nation, and the probable exhaustion of our coal-mines, 2nd ed.; Macmillan Publishers Limited: London, England, 1866. https://doi.org/10.1017/S00167....
28.
ZHANG Y.J., PENG H.R. Exploring the direct rebound effect of residential electricity consumption: An empirical study in China. Applied Energy. 196, 132, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apen....
29.
LIN B., ZHAO H. Technological progress and energy rebound effect in China's textile industry: Evidence and policy implications. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 60, 173, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser....
30.
LUO Q., FENG P. Exploring artificial intelligence and urban pollution emissions: "Speed bump" or "accelerator" for sustainable development? Journal of Cleaner Production. 463, 142739, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
31.
MENG X., XU S., ZHANG J. How does industrial intelligence affect carbon intensity in China? Empirical analysis based on Chinese provincial panel data. Journal of Cleaner Production. 376, 134273, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
32.
NUNN N., QIAN N. US food aid and civil conflict. American Economic Review. 104 (6), 1630, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.10....
33.
SUN G., LI T., AI Y., LI Q. Digital finance and corporate financial fraud. International Review of Financial Analysis. 87, 102566, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa....
34.
HU Y., REN S., WANG Y., CHEN X. Can carbon emission trading scheme achieve energy conservation and emission reduction? Evidence from the industrial sector in China. Energy Economics. 85, 104590, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enec....
| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
