Purpose In today's digital age, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) within construction companies has become a key strategy for enhancing competitive advantage. This paper seeks to explore the effect of digital inclusive finance on the adoption of artificial intelligence within construction companies. Design/methodology/approach This paper employs a two-way fixed-effects model for hypothesis testing, alongside robustness checks such as Heckman's two-stage method and mechanism testing models. Findings This paper finds that digital inclusive finance can promote artificial intelligence adoption in construction companies by increasing risk-taking levels and enhancing financial flexibility. In addition, the executives' information technology (IT) background and high internal control quality positively moderate this relationship. Finally, we find that the dimensions of usage depth and digitalization level significantly promote the artificial intelligence adoption within construction companies, whereas the coverage breadth dimension exhibits negligible effects. Originality/value This paper introduces digital finance research into the literature on artificial intelligence adoption in construction companies, revealing the pathway mechanisms through which digital inclusive finance influences AI adoption and extending the application of technology adoption theory to capital-intensive industries. Furthermore, this paper offers management insights for advancing digital inclusive finance and enhancing AI adoption.
Hong Ding (2026) studied this question.