We examine the relationship between entrepreneurial spirit and corporate AI capability using a sample of Chinese A-share listed firms from 2012 to 2024. The empirical results indicate that entrepreneurial spirit significantly enhances corporate AI capability. This finding remains valid after a series of robustness checks and endogeneity tests. Furthermore, the enhancing effect of entrepreneurial spirit on AI capability stems primarily from entrepreneurs’ innovation spirit. Mechanism analysis reveals that entrepreneurial spirit improves AI capability through four mediating channels: improving internal control, mitigating managerial myopia, fostering a collaborative corporate culture, and strengthening employee incentives. The heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effect is stronger for privately-owned enterprises, those with younger chairpersons, those with female chairpersons, those located in provinces with higher education levels and those based in provinces with more developed digital infrastructure.

Kaiqiang Chen, Yixiang Chen, Jiawen Xu. The Enhancing Effect of Entrepreneurial Spirit on Corporate AI Capability. Academic Journal of Business & Management (2026), Vol. 8, Issue 3: 147-157. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJBM.2026.080318.

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