Influence of artificial intelligence on technological innovation: Evidence from the panel data of china's manufacturing sectors

Abstract This paper analyzes the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on technological innovation through logic reasoning and empirical modeling. Based on the industrial robot data provided by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and the panel data of China's 14 manufacturing sectors from 2008 to 2017, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of AI on technological innovation. Our analysis shows that the mechanism of how AI affects technological innovation is that the former promotes technological innovation through accelerating knowledge creation and technology spillover, improving learning and absorptive capacities, while increasing R&D and talent investment. Our empirical results indicate that under the condition of controlling intensity of R&D investment, FDI, ownership structure, technical imitation, AI significantly promotes technological innovation. And the impact of AI on technological innovation experiences sector heterogeneity: AI has more significant impact on the technological innovation of low-tech sectors. The higher the level of AI, the greater its impact on technological innovation. Based on our established conclusions, we provide corresponding suggestions and recommendations for managerial decision-making.