Objective To investigate the current status of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy among clinical nurses and analyze its influencing factors, so as to provide a reference for promoting effective application of AI technology in clinical nursing field. Methods A total of 504 clinical nurses were recruited from four medical institutions in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, then they were investigated by using a general information questionnaire and the Artificial Intelligence Literacy Scale (AILS). Multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the influencing factors of AI literacy. Results The participants′ total mean score of AILS was 60.29±9.41. Whether received AI-related training and whether had an interest in AI were influencing factors of AI literacy in clinical nurses (both P<0.05), accounting for 20.6% of the total variance. Conclusion The AI literacy among clinical nurses remains to be improved. It is recommended that healthcare institutions should strengthen AI-related training tailored to nurses′ needs, and foster nurses′ interest and engagement with AI, so as to promote effective application of AI technology in nursing.