The capability approach to innovations : How AI can enhance the innovation potential of ecosystem

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) carries great expectations for future business potential. Among other disciplines, the disruptive potential of AI to innovation ecosystems has been widely recognized. As innovation ecosystems have a high reliance on data solutions that enable the efficient utilization of resources, technologies, and capabilities and the disruptive potential of AI is based on the ability to handle vast data masses, the complementary condition between AI and innovation ecosystems seems obvious. However, no research on the intertwinement of AI and innovation ecosystems have yet been published. In this paper, we elaborate on this topic. Based on interviews conducted in two IT consulting companies we present three categories of benefits (information standardization, competence matching, and forecasting) of AI and two categories of barriers (technical and organizational), organizations must overcome to successfully utilize AI solutions in the context of innovation ecosystems.