Artificial Intelligence Opportunity Identification and Ambidextrous Innovation: A Study Based on the Mediating Effect of Technology Convergence

Exploring the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) opportunity identification on corporate ambidextrous innovation is an important issue for promoting manufacturing firms to break through technological bottlenecks and achieve innovation paradigm transformation. However, existing research lacks a holistic discussion on the mediating mechanism of technology convergence in the relationship between "opportunity identification and ambidextrous innovation". Therefore, based on the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory, this study selects a sample of A-share listed manufacturing firms on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2013 to 2024 to investigate the mechanism through which AI opportunities identification affects ambidextrous innovation, and to test the mediating role of technology convergence. The empirical results show that AI opportunity identification has a significant positive impact on exploratory innovation; AI opportunity identification significantly promotes complementary technology convergence; and complementary technology convergence plays a partial mediating role between AI opportunity identification and exploratory innovation, forming a transmission path of "AI opportunity identification - complementary technology convergence - exploratory innovation. Based on the above findings, it is recommended to formulate differentiated technology support policies according to firm heterogeneity, guide manufacturing firms to strengthen their AI opportunity identification capabilities, and fully leverage the mediating role of technology convergence to enhance firms' innovation levels and promote high-quality development of the manufacturing industry.