Carbon Emission Performance of Robot Application: Influencing Mechanisms and Heterogeneity Characteristics

With the new round of technological revolution and industrial change, industrial robots have an important role to play in the fight against climate change and in achieving the goal of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.” Based on the panel data of the application level of industrial robots in Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2019, this study examines the impact of industrial robots on carbon emission performance and discusses specific ways industrial robots can affect carbon emission performance. The results show that industrial robots can significantly improve carbon emission performance. Mechanism analysis shows that industrial robots can improve carbon emission performance through productivity and competition effects. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the application effect of industrial robots varies based on enterprise nature, regional location, and carbon emission intensity. The study can make potential contributions. First, this study systematically analyzes the impact of artificial intelligence technology on carbon emissions from the perspective of carbon emission performance, which can supplement the research on carbon emission performance. Second, this study calculates application levels of artificial intelligence technology at the enterprise level and uses panel and linear intermediary effect models to analyze the transmission mechanism between the application of artificial intelligence technology and carbon emission performance. Third, the heterogeneity analysis results can provide empirical support for formulating differentiated artificial intelligence carbon reduction strategies and be used as a reference to further promote the green development of artificial intelligence technology.