Does artificial intelligence affect the ecological footprint? -Evidence from 30 provinces in China

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology serves as a powerful tool to optimize energy efficiency and lessen ecological footprints. Using data from 30 provinces in China over the period from 2018 to 2022, this study investigates how regional AI development affects the per capita ecological footprint and explores the underlying mechanisms. The results show that: (1) Regional AI development can significantly decrease the ecological footprint, and this conclusion remains robust after a series of robustness checks. (2) Mediation effect analysis indicates that AI technology mainly decreases the ecological footprint by improving energy utilization efficiency. (3) The panel threshold model results show that AI's influence on the ecological footprint has a single energy efficiency threshold. Only when regional energy efficiency exceeds a certain threshold can AI fully exert its suppressive effect on the ecological footprint. (4) Regional heterogeneity analysis shows that the reduction effect of AI on the ecological footprint is more pronounced in the central and eastern regions of China. This paper helps clarify the specific impact of AI technology development on the ecological footprint and provides scientific evidence for regional technology development, energy efficiency improvement, and ecological environment policy formulation.