The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposes accelerating the all-round green transition of economic and social development and building a Beautiful China. Against the backdrop of significant progress in building a modernized industrial system and the rising tide of green development, industrial intelligence, underpinned by smart and digital technologies, can drive the adoption of clean energy and foster green production and consumption patterns. The deep integration and virtuous interaction between industrial intelligence and the green economy will contribute to establishing a new framework for high-quality development. How, then, does the coupling of traditional industries with intelligent technologies enhance green economic efficiency, and through what mechanisms is this achieved? Based on panel data from 221 Chinese cities between 2013 and 2021, this study theoretically analyzes the specific impact and internal mechanisms through which industrial intelligence influences urban green economic efficiency. Starting from the core connotations of industrial intelligence and green economic efficiency, an indicator system is constructed to empirically test the enabling effect of industrial intelligence on green economic efficiency, clarify its transmission pathways, and further elucidate the non-linear effects, regional heterogeneity, and spatial diffusion characteristics of this empowerment. The findings reveal that industrial intelligence significantly enhances urban green economic efficiency, and this result remains robust. Mechanism tests indicate that industrial intelligence effectively boosts urban technological innovation capability and environmental regulatory stringency, thereby promoting green economic development. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the driving effect of industrial intelligence is statistically significant in central and western regions, but not significant in eastern and northeastern regions. Threshold effect tests confirm a non-linear relationship between industrial intelligence and urban green economic efficiency. Spatial effect tests demonstrate that, under an economic-geographical distance matrix, industrial intelligence can further elevate the green economic efficiency of geographically proximate regions with similar economic development levels. Based on these findings, the following policy implications are proposed: unleash the potential of industrial intelligence by strengthening infrastructure, providing financial and talent support, and facilitating the commercialization of R&D outcomes; leverage the indirect driving forces of technological innovation and environmental regulation, emphasize industrial restructuring within the process of industrial intelligence development, and further harness the empowering effect of industrial upgrading; regions should develop strategies based on their local conditions and national functional positioning, and governments should exercise effective macro-regulation to achieve coordinated regional development.