Given the shortcomings of the traditional Golden Jackal Optimization (GJO) algorithm, including limited accuracy and slow convergence speed in solving mobile robot path planning problems, an improved adaptive Golden Jackal Optimization (IAGJO) method is proposed. Firstly, a nonlinear adaptive energy strategy is presented to adjust the energy decay pattern, balancing global and local search. Secondly, an enhanced position update mechanism based on Cauchy and Gaussian mutation increases population diversity and guide the search based on optimal individuals, thereby facilitating efficient exploration of unknown regions and avoiding local optima. Finally, the IAGJO algorithm is applied to mobile robot path planning (MRPP), demonstrating that the IAGJO achieves shorter path lengths and higher search efficiency, exhibiting significant advantages over existing methods.