Evaluating the impact of artificial intelligence development on urban resilience: Evidence from Chinese cities

Urban management faces unprecedented challenges in addressing uncertainty, maintaining ecological balance, and safeguarding social welfare. Despite artificial intelligence (AI) providing opportunities while also posing risks, empirical evidence of its impact on urban resilience remains limited. Using panel data from 266 prefecture-level cities in China for the period between 2011 and 2022, this study examined the impact of AI development on urban resilience and elucidated the underlying mechanisms based on the technology-organization-environment framework. The key findings are as follows: AI development exerts an inverted U-shaped influence on urban resilience; the partial mediating roles of fiscal decentralization and financial resources are identified; governmental response exhibits a moderating effect on the relationship and moderates the mediating effect of fiscal decentralization; and economic development moderates the effect of AI on urban resilience, operating partially through financial resources. Several policy recommendations are provided to support cities in leveraging AI development to strengthen urban resilience.