Digital intelligence empowerment of ambidextrous innovation serves as a key driver for securing a leading position in technological development and accelerating the cultivation of new quality productive forces. Panel data from Chinese cities from 2010 to 2023 was used to examine the impact and mechanisms of digital intelligence on ambidextrous innovation. The findings are as follows. The role of digital intelligence in driving ambidextrous innovation is asymmetric. A linear positive effect on breakthrough innovation is exerted by it, while its impact on incremental innovation follows a U-shaped pattern, in which it is initially suppressed and then stimulated. The synergy in ambidextrous innovation is promoted by digital intelligence, but a differentiated influence on their interactive relationship is exerted, which is characterized by decreasing balance and increasing complementarity. Mechanism tests indicate that optimizing factor allocation and promoting knowledge agglomeration are key transmission pathways. Among these, the transmission effects of capital and labor factor allocation exhibit bias, while the transmission effect of knowledge agglomeration demonstrates selectivity. Moderation effect tests show that knowledge diffusion not only positively moderates the direct effects of digital intelligence on ambidextrous innovation and its synergy, but also exerts a positive moderating effect on the latter half of the transmission pathway for knowledge agglomeration. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the driving effect of digital intelligence on breakthrough innovation is more prominent in resource-based and low-scientific-level cities. The driving effect of incremental innovation is significant only in high-scientific-level cities, whereas a significant inhibitory effect is observed in resource-based cities. The driving effect on ambidextrous innovation synergy is more prominent in resource-based and high-scientific-level cities. The theoretical understanding of digitally driven regional innovation is deepened, and a scientific basis is provided for optimizing the strategic layout of digital intelligence and unleashing innovation potential in a manner tailored to local conditions.