Artificial intelligence and e-commerce market dynamics: comparative evidence from Europe, China, and the U.S.
摘要
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into financial systems has fundamentally transformed market dynamics. To address this issue, this study aims to examine the dynamic and asymmetric effects of AI technologies on e-commerce markets by considering cross-country differences. In this context, the relationship between the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ.Q) index and the CSI Overseas China Internet (CSI), Dow Jones Internet Commerce (DJIC), and Solactive E-commerce (SLCTV) indices is analysed between March 9, 2021, and May 30, 2025, through the Wavelet Quantile-on-Quantile Regression (WQQR) method. The findings indicate that the impact of AI investments varies significantly across countries and market structures. The findings reveal that across all quartiles and periods, an increase in the AI index is connected with an increase in the e-commerce indices, except the Chinese index. Specifically, the effect of AI on the Chinese e-commerce index (CSI) appears weak and negative in the short term, negative and insignificant in most of the quartiles in the medium term, and negative and more pronounced in the long term, while it shows strong and consistent positive effects on the U.S. (DJIC) and European (SLCTV) e-commerce indices across all time horizons. This suggests that the level of technological adaptation, investment in digital infrastructure, and the speed of AI integration play crucial roles in shaping market performance. These findings are of critical importance for both the public and private sectors in developing data driven policies that aim to enhance AI adoption and improve digital market efficiency.