Science Research Management

Science Research Management ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (4): 34-43.DOI: 10.19571/j.cnki.1000-2995.2025.04.004

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The emergence of enterprises′ new quality productive forces driven by artificial intelligence applications: The micro-evidence from Chinese-listed companies

Chen Kaiming1, Huang Qinghua2,3, Shi Peihao4   

  1. 1. School of Finance and Trade, Wenzhou Business College, Wenzhou 325035, Zhejiang, China;
    2. School of Economics and Management, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
    3. Chongqing Research Center for Design-Driven Enterprises, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
    4. School of Economics and Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
  • Received:2024-03-26 Revised:2025-01-18 Online:2025-04-20 Published:2025-04-11

Abstract:    The development of new quality productive forces (NQPF) hinges on the scientific and technological innovation, with a focus on industrial upgrading. The current wave of scientific and technological revolutions, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), is providing new momentum for China′s sustained economic growth. Based on the micro-data from Chinese-listed companies from 2009 to 2022, this study constructed an NQPF index system and empirically tested the impact of AI applications on NQPF and its mechanisms via the "innovation" and "industry" pathways by using the two-way fixed effect model. The findings indicated that: (1) AI applications significantly enhance NQPF through multidimensional new quality factors of production; (2) the mechanism test showed that AI applications foster substantial innovation rather than strategic innovation, with substantial innovation positively mediating and moderating the impact of AI on NQPF; (3) the internal specialization and external supply chain efficiency also positively mediate and moderate this impact, while the AI-driven industrial chain integration stimulates NQPF; (4) the heterogeneity analysis revealed that AI′s impact on NQPF is more pronounced in the private, manufacturing, and competitive industry firms. This study has clarified the differences in innovation motivation of AI application effectiveness, elucidated the mechanism of AI-induced industrial fission and chain upgrading, and enriched the research on NQPF influencing factors and the economic consequences of AI applications, which will provide important policy insights for leveraging AI to drive NQPF development.

Key words: artificial intelligence application, enterprises′ new quality productive force, substantial innovation effect, industry chain integration effect