🤖 AI Summary
This study investigates how AI-driven digital transformation affects the performance of Chinese industrial enterprises, focusing on the mediating role of green digital innovation and the moderating effect of human–AI collaboration. Drawing on 6,300 firm-year observations from the CNRDS and CSMAR databases (2015–2022), we employ panel regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) for empirical analysis. Our contribution is threefold: first, we provide robust evidence that AI-driven digital transformation significantly enhances enterprise performance; second, we identify green digital innovation as a critical mediator in this relationship; third, we demonstrate that human–AI collaboration not only positively moderates the direct effect but also strengthens the mediated pathway. Notably, this research pioneers an integrative theoretical framework bridging technology management, environmental sustainability, and organizational theory. The findings offer both conceptual insights and actionable policy implications for synergistic digital–green transformation in industrial contexts.
📝 Abstract
This study examines the relationship between AI-driven digital transformation and firm performance in Chinese industrial enterprises, with particular attention to the mediating role of green digital innovation and the moderating effects of human-AI collaboration. Using panel data from 6,300 firm-year observations collected from CNRDS and CSMAR databases between 2015 and 2022, we employ multiple regression analysis and structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. Our findings reveal that AI-driven digital transformation significantly enhances firm performance, with green digital innovation mediating this relationship. Furthermore, human-AI collaboration positively moderates both the direct relationship between digital transformation and firm performance and the mediating pathway through green digital innovation. The results provide valuable insights for management practice and policy formulation in the context of China's evolving industrial landscape and digital economy initiatives. This research contributes to the literature by integrating perspectives from technology management, environmental sustainability, and organizational theory to understand the complex interplay between technological adoption and business outcomes.