Abstract

The increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) has triggered intense debates on the impact of industrial intelligence on economic changes including the Solow paradox. How does industrial intelligence affect resource dependence and net-zero development? To shed some light on this question, we combine the grounded theory and dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model to explore what is the possible impact of industrial intelligence on resource dependence and net-zero development. Our results indicate that: (i) Intelligent technological progress enables net-zero development by boosting total factor productivity (TFP), promoting the labor market dynamic evolution, and accelerating intelligence. (ii) However, there is a significant rebound effect associated with intelligent technological progress. It will aggravate resource dependence if the industry pays too much attention to the intelligent transformation of the end link, such as intelligent resource exploitation. (iii) The government can implement resource tax policies to alleviate the resource-environment issues caused by industrial intelligence, which is conducive to stabilizing the macro economy, reducing resource dependence and promoting net-zero development. The findings enrich the technological progress theory and provide guidance for building an intelligent-friendly, resource-saving and net-zero society. © 2025