59: The AI Disruption of Entrepreneurship: A Setback or Breakthrough for Innovation? Research Incubator (16730)

Entrepreneurship is a major mechanism through which innovation production and adoption is accelerated. With the rise of powerful AI tools, including but not limited to generative AI, we witness a disruptive transformation of entrepreneurship practices and research, with potentially far-reaching implications for innovation. A recent editorial in the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ) provocatively suggests a future where scholars might transition from being creators to curators, overseeing a vast expanse of AI-generated academic content, fundamentally challenging our traditional roles in knowledge production. (Grimes et al., 2023). Here is particularly unclear whether the AI disruption of entrepreneurship is a setback or breakthrough for innovation production and adoption. At the same time, research in the space of AI entrepreneurship, and effects on innovation, is very nascent, both in the theoretical and empirical literature. Likewise, research communities and networks in this space are emerging but fragmented. This PDW aims to spark a conversation and build a community that will serve as a catalyst for critical and much needed dialogue on the implications of AI for the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation. The workshop will take a developmental approach to identify the most pressing research questions, plan concrete study designs, and discuss how the research community and research process at large can be promoted in this field. To these ends, the workshop is designed to connect scholars interested in the intersection of AI and entrepreneurship, which we view as an important foundational step in creating a vibrant community of scholars interested in this topic. We seek to foster a community that is invested in understanding what AI means for entrepreneurship practice and research, collectively shaping the direction of future research, and to also offer a creative space for brainstorming ideas through a research incubator. This format is chosen to promote active collaboration and networking among participants, laying the groundwork for a shared vision on the future of AI in entrepreneurship research, and forming new networks and communities.

Please ensure you pre-register to attend the Professional Development Workshop (PDW). The online form is available at https://www.entrepreneurship-ex-machina.org/