Does artificial intelligence improve the quality of export products? Evidence from China

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized production methods through automated and intelligent manufacturing. Using Chinese A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2015, we conduct a variety of regressions and find that AI improves export product quality. Moreover, AI enhances export product quality by boosting resource allocation efficiency and information-processing abilities. Compared with the collaborative intelligent manufacturing mode, the quality-driver effect of AI is only significant in the production-based intelligent manufacturing mode. Our findings suggest that emerging countries should motivate their exporters to adopt intelligent manufacturing methods to enhance product quality.