Does Artificial Intelligence (AI) enhance green economy efficiency? The role of green finance, trade openness, and R&D investment

Marine fisheries constitute a crucial component of global green development, where artificial intelligence (AI) plays an essential role in enhancing green economic efficiency associated with marine fisheries. This study utilizes panel data from 11 coastal provinces and municipalities in China from 2009 to 2020, employing the entropy method and the super-efficiency EBM model to calculate the AI index and the green economic efficiency of marine fisheries. Based on these calculations, we utilize fixed effects models, moderation effect models, and panel threshold models to examine the impact of AI on the green economic efficiency of marine fisheries. The study reveals that: (i) From 2009 to 2020, AI has significantly improved overall, while the green economic efficiency of marine fisheries has shown a fluctuating trend, with substantial regional disparities. (ii) AI significantly enhances the green economic efficiency of marine fisheries. (iii) Green finance, trade openness, and R&D investment act as crucial moderating variables, accelerating AI development and further improving the green economic efficiency of marine fisheries. (iv) The impact of AI on green economic efficiency varies across different intervals of green finance, trade openness, and R&D investment. These findings are crucial for understanding and advancing the informatization strategy of marine fisheries and hold significant implications for the sustainable development of global marine fisheries.