Assessing the impact of artificial intelligence on energy justice in China

As the global drive for energy transformation accelerates, energy justice is gaining prominence as a vital international concern. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology innovation offers a promising pathway for advancing energy justice by enabling innovative solutions to complex challenges. However, there is still a dearth of empirical study on how AI-driven technical innovation affects energy justice. To address this gap in the literature, this study empirically evaluates the effect of AI technology advancement on energy justice in China using a balanced panel dataset of 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2023. In addition, the study looks at the possible underlying mechanisms and examines the heterogeneity of this influence. The empirical findings suggest that AI technology innovation exerts a positive and significant effect on energy justice, with an estimated elasticity of approximately 0.045, underscoring its potential as a catalyst for equitable energy transitions. Specifically, it enhances energy distributive, procedural, and recognition justice. These findings remain robust across a range of robustness checks. Moreover, the development of financial technology, propelled by AI innovation, serves as an indirect pathway to enhancing energy justice. The heterogeneity analysis indicates that AI-driven advancements exert a stronger influence on energy justice in eastern provinces, regions with substantial clean energy output, highly open economies. By empirically examining the impact of AI technology innovation on energy justice, this study provides nuanced recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders aiming to promote more equitable and sustainable energy systems.