Artificial intelligence (AI) is a new engine for SRDI enterprises to improve new quality productive forces, but how to fully stimulate and release the potential of AI affordances through ambidextrous innovation remains a problem to be solved. This paper takes manufacturing single champion enterprises and SRDI “Little Giant” enterprises listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares as research samples to study the ambidextrous innovation mechanism of AI affordances affecting the new quality productive forces of SRDI enterprises. The results show that both basic and functional affordances can improve the new quality productive forces of SRDI enterprises. Functional affordances improve new quality productive forces through exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation, while basic affordances only improve new quality productive forces through exploratory innovation. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that enterprises in SRDI “Little Giants”, low intellectual property protection areas, and strategic emerging industries use AI affordances to drive new quality productive forces through exploratory innovation, while enterprises in manufacturing single champions, high intellectual property protection areas, and non-strategic emerging industries use AI affordances to drive new quality productive forces through ambidextrous innovation. This paper deepens the research on the antecedents and generation mechanism of new quality productive forces, and provides practical enlightenment for releasing the potential of AI in new quality productive forces.