Wings or shackles? Artificial intelligence and Chinese corporate internationalization

Purpose Artificial intelligence’s (AI) influence on corporate operations is receiving increasing social attention. Does AI significantly influence the international expansion of enterprises? Design/methodology/approach Based on theories such as multinational corporations, this study selects relevant data from Chinese-listed companies spanning the years 2011–2019, with a particular emphasis on how artificial intelligence directly influences the scope and degree of corporate internationalization. This study also considers the moderating effects of CEO information technology background (ITCEO), ESG performance and external regional environmental regulations. Findings The research results indicate that artificial intelligence improves the scope and degree of internationalization performance of enterprises. Heterogeneity analysis found that artificial intelligence has different impacts on state-owned enterprises and private enterprises. The CEO’s expertise in IT serves as a positive moderating factor, enhancing the direct correlation between artificial intelligence and the scope, as well as the degree of their company’s internationalization efforts. ESG performance serves as a positive moderating factor, enhancing the direct correlation between artificial intelligence and the scope of their company’s internationalization efforts. The external regional environmental regulations serve as a negative moderating factor. Originality/value This study innovatively integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into the analysis of both the scope and degree of enterprise internationalization, thereby enriching the literature on AI and its applications in business strategies. By incorporating AI, this research broadens the theoretical and empirical insights into the determinants affecting the scope and degree of corporate internationalization. This study systematically examines the moderating effects of CEOs with IT backgrounds, corporate ESG performance and regional environmental regulations, thereby extending the scope of research on the determinants of internationalization.