Artificial knowledge generation: investigating the revolutionary role of generative AI in knowledge management

This article is part of an ongoing series looking at AI in KM, and KM in AI.

• Provides a complete systematization of the emerging research domain of generative AI (GenAI) in knowledge management (KM) from a bibliometric literature review² analysing 1411 articles.
• Puts forward a GenAI-KM organizational readiness self-assessment tool³
• Puts forward a revised SECI model⁴ which reflects that GenAI is causing a revolutionary shift in KM processes.
• Advises that managers should evaluate integration of GenAI for several purposes:
• • GenAI can be used in synthetic dataset production to support training and simulations of diagnostic patterns, especially for managers in scarce or strictly regulated data industries such as healthcare.
  • R&D teams should integrate GenAI into early-stage innovation processes and then apply structured validation steps, such as peer review or experimentation, to assess the value of AI-generated insights.
  • Knowledge management systems (KMS) should be revisited to support co-creation models where humans and machines can successfully cooperate in knowledge generation. This may involve updating internal taxonomies and retraining staff on how to critically engage with AI outputs. Strategically integrating GenAI into KMS and innovation processes will determine an organization’s ability to remain competitive and adaptive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
  • GenAI may also be employed to codify expert knowledge into structured outputs such as reports and learning materials. This may help preserve institutional memory and accelerate employee learning, while mitigating intergenerational knowledge gaps.
• Effective organizational integration calls for specifically designed training courses for employees that develop a culture of responsible experimentation, along with the adoption of governance frameworks that define its acceptable use in everyday tasks and processes.
• Risk mitigation strategies are also imperative, especially to integrate GenAI into decision-making and highly sensitive processes.

Header image source: Created by Bruce Boyes with Microsoft Designer Image Creator.

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