Research on Path Optimization for New Driving Forces in Digital Transformation: Leveraging AI Technology Integration to Promote High-Quality Development of the Digital Economy

As the global digital transformation progresses deeply, how the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology drives the high-quality development of the digital economy has become a critical issue. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2015 to 2023, this study constructs a three-dimensional analysis framework of technology-industry-institution, and uses a dynamic panel model and a multi-case comparison method to analyze the impact mechanism of AI technology integration on the total factor productivity of the digital economy. The results show that for every one-unit increase in AI technology integration, the productivity of the digital economy grows by 0.41 percentage points, exhibiting differentiated characteristics of innovation spillovers in the eastern regions (0.53) and efficiency catch-up in the central and western regions (0.32). Industrial synergy forms a dual drive through data sharing (contribution of $45.1 \%$) and knowledge flow ($36.8 \%$), while institutional barriers lead to the dissipation of $21.7 \%$ of the technological dividends. The study constructs a path optimization model of “technology adaptation-industrial resonance-institutional adjustment”, revealing the moderating effect of regional innovation ecosystem maturity on development gaps ($\boldsymbol{\beta}=\mathbf{0. 6 8}$). The conclusions provide decision-making support for bridging the digital divide and optimizing the AI governance system, while also proposing a practical framework of “scenario adaptation-ecological co-construction” for enterprises’ technology integration strategies.