In the field of the road transportation industry, quantitative research on the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) technology and corporate sustainable development is relatively scarce. This disparity has led to discussions about whether artificial intelligence technology can truly promote the sustainable development level of the highway maintenance industry. Therefore, this study aims to quantify the relationship between artificial intelligence technology and the sustainable development of the highway maintenance industry, and to analyze the reasons behind the current controversies. The research results show: (1) Each exogenous variable has an impact on sustainable development, although the degree of influence varies, especially the economic development level (ED) has the strongest direct effect on sustainable development, followed by the level of market demand (MD), the level of policy support (PS), and the level of enterprise capital (EC); (2) Moderating variables can enhance this direct impact, among which the moderating effect of ED on the relationship between ED and sustainable development is the strongest; (3) Artificial intelligence technology has different impacts on enterprises at different positions in the industrial chain, thereby explaining the controversy over whether to adopt it or not. These conclusions highlight the value of artificial intelligence technology and provide a reasonable explanation for the existing controversies in the industry and research field.
Zhou et al. (2026) studied this question.