PROJECT SUMMARY

Absract image with drawings of people grouped within a network diagram

The Use of Automated Knowledge in Organisations Project

Focus Areas: News & Media, Mobilities, Social Services, Health
Status: Active

Organisations are central to knowledge dissemination and value creation in society, functioning as complex rule systems that deploy knowledge to achieve specific goals. Historically, advances in ICT have enabled organisations to grow and improve efficiency, but their fundamental structure has remained largely unchanged.

Generative AI is a new general-purpose tool that can significantly lower the cost of productive interaction with knowledge by leveraging foundation models for rapid, flexible natural language access. As these models become more complex, their capabilities expand, potentially rivalling large organisations in productivity on some dimensions. This raises the question of whether AI systems will compete with or complement traditional organisations.

This project investigates the impact of Generative AI on organisational structures and inter-organisational interactions, aiming to develop an AI theory of the firm. It seeks to understand and test how AI-driven systems can be integrated into organisational structures to create what might be termed “artificial organisational intelligence”.

It will investigate the adoption of decentralised AI within organisational contexts and the organisational capabilities required to make effective use of AI. By addressing the challenges of reliability, confidentiality, and contextual accuracy in AI systems, this project will contribute to the development of robust systems that are better suited for organisational use. This could have broad implications for how AI is deployed in various sectors, from business and government to community and environmental initiatives.

Return to projects

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Develop a new theory of the firm relevant to the digital economy, including the role(s) of AI within this transformation.
Document, analyse, and compare the constitutive processes that organisations undertake in relation to automated technologies.

Produce evidence of how different approaches to AI governance within organisations influence the capabilities of organisations both individually and as networks of organisations.
Compare the performance of standard AI tool usage with customized modifications, exploring how these modifications contribute to organizational capabilities, including efficiency, accuracy, and social innovation.