Abstract: Based on the provincial panel data of China from 2011 to 2023， this paper empirically examines the impact of artificial intelligence on regional economic gaps. The results show that artificial intelligence can narrow regional economic gaps， but there exists regional heterogeneity； the improvement of innovation capability and labor skills are important channels through which artificial intelligence affects regional economic gaps. The threshold effect test results indicate that the impact of artificial intelligence on regional economic gaps has a single threshold effect on the level of industrial structure upgrading. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the inhibitory effect of artificial intelligence on regional economic gaps is more significant in regions with a higher degree of marketization and a lower level of human capital.