This study takes the implementation of China’s AI industrial policy as the research perspective, combined with the export product data of China’s hs6 level from 2010 to 2020 in CEPII-BACI database, and uses the Difference in Difference method to empirically explore the impact of AI industrial policy on the quality of China’s export products. The study found that the AI industrial policy has a significant role in promoting the quality of China’s export products. The study also found that export products with different income levels, different factor intensity and different quality levels also showed obvious heterogeneity. Finally, the conclusion of the mechanism test shows that the AI industrial policy mainly promotes the leap in the quality of China’s export products by reducing trade costs and enhancing the ability of technological innovation, among which the effect of technological innovation is more signifi cant. The research conclusion provides a new perspective for understanding the role of AI industrial policy on the quality upgrading of China’s export products, and provides empirical evidence support for promoting the high-quality development of China’s foreign trade.