Artificial Intelligence and Social Well-Being in the Yellow River Basin: A Cultural Lag Theory Perspective

Amid comprehensive reforms, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a vital force in solving people’s problems and enhancing quality of life. Yet, theoretical inquiries into the mechanisms by which AI influences social well-being remain limited. Drawing upon cultural lag theory, this study constructs a social well-being index system based on the Gini coefficient objective weighting method. By integrating a moderated mediation model with a spatial econometric model, it examines the mechanisms and impacts of artificial intelligence on social well-being. The findings reveal that AI induces multiple cultural lags and exerts a U-shaped impact on social well-being. AI enhances well-being through the channels of employment opportunities, human capital, and green innovation, while digital inclusion and foreign direct investment (FDI) further reinforce this relationship. Additionally, AI generates spatial spillover effects on social well-being, and the region’s well-being landscape exhibits convergence. However, both digital inclusion and FDI negatively moderate the convergence process, slowing its overall pace. These insights provide substantial practical guidance for crafting informed policies aimed at elevating public well-being.