The Competitive and Collaborative Dynamics of AI Deployment in Cities: A Regional Polarization Perspective

With respect to the configuration of artificial intelligence, cities exhibit both competitive and collaborative dynamics. In geographically contiguous regions, the 'siphon effect' tends to outweigh the 'trickle-down effect' when competition intensifies and cooperation is lacking during the initial deployment of intelligent applications. Adjacent areas become less attractive, while industrial and talent agglomeration manifest in intelligent development zones, engendering an economic cycle effect that ultimately leads to a high concentration of talent, frequent innovation activities, and rapid economic growth vis-à-vis neighboring areas beset by talent shortages, inadequate innovation incentives, and sluggish economic expansion. This phenomenon can be described as the state of the 'innovation pole' within the context of regional 'polarization' (Hansen, 2022). For economically related regions, there are greater opportunities for cooperative intelligent development based on similar economic foundations, although the flow of factors is less convenient than in geographically contiguous areas, thereby weakening competition and fostering joint progress. Hence, we propose hypothesis 6.