Artificial intelligence, digital inclusive finance, and financial performance: Dynamic threshold insights from renewable energy enterprises

With the widespread application of artificial intelligence (AI), industrial robots—being a typical example of AI technology—have provided new tools and opportunities for renewable energy enterprises. This paper uses data from 151 renewable energy enterprises and a dynamic panel threshold model to investigate the nonlinear effect of AI on financial performance of renewable energy enterprises and how this effect evolves with varying levels of digital inclusive finance. This paper finds that industrial robot installation exerts a U-shaped influence on renewable energy enterprises' financial performance, and industrial robot stock has a decreasing positive effect. Furthermore, industrial robots' influence on the financial performance of renewable energy enterprises varies by ownership type and scale. Additionally, at a high level of AI development, a high degree of digital inclusive finance amplifies the beneficial influence of industrial robot installation on the performance of renewable energy enterprises, while weakens the positive impact of industrial robot stock.