The automated sustainability auditor: Does artificial intelligence curtail greenwashing behavior in Chinese firms?
研究利用中国A股公司面板数据，发现人工智能实施能有效减少企业漂绿行为，且这种效果受所有权结构影响，国有企业中AI对漂绿的抑制作用较弱。
Abstract Corporate stakeholders are intrigued by the potential collaboration between AI and environmental reporting to maintain competitiveness in the digital and sustainable economy. This exploration is crucial given the persistent pressures driving companies to engage in greenwashing practices for legitimacy. Aiming to shed light on the function of AI in reducing the prevalence of greenwashing by Chinese businesses, the findings, derived from panel data estimation of Chinese A‐share firms, suggest that the implementation of AI has a positive impact on the fight against greenwashing. The investigation presents compelling evidence that greenwashing mechanism control can be accelerated by AI technologies. Organizations that invest strategically in artificial intelligence exhibit a diminished propensity to obfuscate environmental performance by means of AI‐enabled automation and enhanced data‐driven decision‐making. Intriguingly, the study demonstrates that the substantial disparate greenwashing impact of AI depends on ownership structure. In comparison to non‐SOEs, state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) demonstrate diminished AI control over greenwashing. Significantly, the research utilizes a variety of validation methods, such as instrumental variable approach, propensity score matching, and two‐stage least squares, to ensure the validity of the primary findings.