Artificial Intelligence Development and Urban Industrial Ecology: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China

This study utilizes a balanced panel dataset covering 71 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2023. The dataset integrates multiple sources, including the <i>China City Statistical Yearbook</i>, the <i>China Statistical Yearbook on Environment</i>, the <i>China Science and Technology Statistical Yearbook</i>, and policy documents issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology regarding the designation of National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zones. Key variables include measures of industrial ecological development, economic development level, green technological innovation, industrial structure upgrading, and green total factor energy efficiency. Policy implementation information is used to identify pilot cities and the timing of AI Pilot Zone establishment, serving as the basis for the difference-in-differences analysis. Control variables encompass demographic, economic, environmental, and technological indicators to ensure robustness.