How Does Artificial Intelligence Empower the Development of New-Quality Productivity?

Based on the Policy Effects of the Pilot Zones for Innovation and Development of the New Generation of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

In the current era where a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is intertwined, leveraging artificial intelligence to empower the cultivation of new-quality productivity has become a core path for driving development. This paper focuses on the policy of the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zones, selecting panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2012 to 2022 as the analysis sample. It employs a multi-period difference-in-differences model and, in combination with the CRITIC entropy weighting method, constructs a comprehensive evaluation system for new-quality productivity covering labor, labor resources, labor objects, and factor combination efficiency to empirically test the policy effects of the pilot zones. The study finds that the pilot zone policy significantly promotes the enhancement of new-quality productivity, and this effect remains robust after a series of robustness checks such as the parallel trends test and placebo test. Mediation effect tests indicate that industrial structure upgrading and talent aggregation are important transmission paths through which the pilot zone policy empowers new-quality productivity. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the policy effect exhibits significant regional differences, being most pronounced in the eastern region, followed by the western region, while the impact in the central and northeastern regions is not statistically significant. Additionally, provinces with higher levels of openness and marketization gain more pronounced positive benefits from this policy. The research conclusions provide empirical evidence and practical reference for optimizing artificial intelligence development policies and promoting the cultivation of new-quality productivity.