Artificial Intelligence Development and Urban Industrial Ecology in China: Quasi-Natural Experimental Evidence from National AI Innovation and Development Pilot Zones

This study uses a balanced panel dataset of 71 large and medium-sized Chinese cities from 2003 to 2023. The data integrate information from the <i>China City Statistical Yearbook</i>, <i>China Statistical Yearbook on Environment</i>, <i>China Science and Technology Statistical Yearbook</i>, Ministry of Science and Technology policy documents, and patent databases. Variables include the AI Pilot Zone indicator, an industrial ecological development index (12 sub-dimensions via the entropy method), and measures of urbanization, infrastructure, GDP, finance, R&amp;D, industrial structure upgrading, green total factor energy efficiency, and green technological innovation.