Can artificial intelligence development improve urban land green utilization efficiency?

Based on a panel dataset of 265 prefecture-level cities in China from 2009 to 2021, this study leverages the exogenous shock of the "National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone" policy to investigate the causal relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and urban land green utilization efficiency (LGUE). Findings reveal the following: (1) AI has a significant positive impact on urban LGUE. Compared with non-pilot cities, AI has increased the overall LGUE level in pilot cities by 3.3%; (2) Mechanism analysis shows that AI influences urban LGUE primarily through the following three pathways: enhancing urban green innovation, promoting industrial structure upgrading, and guiding green consumption behavior; and (3) The effect of AI is heterogeneous across cities, with more pronounced improvements in LGUE observed in cities with high human capital, non-resource-based economies, and high financial support levels.