Artificial Intelligence Technology Innovation and Carbon Inequality in China: Evidence from a Spatial Spillover Perspective

Under the backdrop of climate change, China’s pursuit of its “dual carbon” goals confronts the pressing issue of carbon inequality. Using 3146 city–year observations from 286 Chinese cities between 2011 and 2021, this study investigates the relationship between artificial intelligence technology innovation (AITI) and carbon inequality, with particular attention to their spatial associations. A 0–1 geographical contiguity matrix is employed to characterize spatial linkages among cities. The findings reveal that: (1) AITI is significantly associated with lower levels of carbon inequality across cities and exhibits significant spatial spillover effects; (2) the relationship between AITI and carbon inequality is also associated with income equalization, environmental regulation, and industrial structure optimization; and (3) the influence of AITI on carbon inequality varies across regions, with more pronounced negative associations observed in central and western cities, while the total effect in northeastern China is significantly positive. These results provide both theoretical contributions and practical policy implications for understanding the role of technological innovation in advancing equitable carbon mitigation and fostering an inclusive low–carbon transition.