Intelligent manufacturing (IM) is a new technological paradigm, providing a brand-new idea for promoting sustainable development. Based on the IM pilot demonstration projects, this paper employs Chinese A-share manufacturing companies from 2012 to 2022 as a sample to investigate the impact of IM on corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. The results indicate that IM can significantly improve corporate ESG performance. Mechanism tests suggest that IM promotes corporate ESG performance by improving digital transformation and green innovation. Additionally, we find that the impact of IM has greatly boosted corporate ESG performance with the high level of urban resource endowment, industrial digitalization, internal governance, and external environmental regulation. The conclusions confirm the effect and internal logic of IM’s influence on corporate sustainable development and provide valuable advice for relevant policies aimed at improving intelligence and sustainability.