Artificial Intelligence: Business Value and Challenges

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal technology, heralding the advent of the fourth industrial revolution. Transcending conventional technologies, AI empowers firms to harness the capabilities of machine-based intelligence and advanced computing to imitate human cognitive functions (Li et al., 2021). Given this huge potential, a growing number of firms have invested substantial resources in AI, nurturing a wide array of AI innovations. For instance, a recent report indicated that Apple invested $22.6 billion in AI technologies, including generative AI (Mauran, 2023). Alibaba, a Chinese technology giant, has pivoted toward an AI-driven strategy, investing considerable resources in large language models that exhibit human-like capabilities (Global Times, 2023).

AI has offered tremendous opportunities to firms. Numerous AI manifestations, such as robotic process automation, machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, have provided inestimable possibilities for firms to efficiently and effectively manage complicated operations and decision-making (Berente et al., 2021). Besides, AI has the potential to enable firms to design new service offerings and develop novel business models, which are beneficial for them to gain competitive advantages and long-term prosperity in the digital era (Cao et al., 2024).

However, AI also poses significant challenges to firms. For example, AI’s emulation capability raises concerns, such as security and ethics (Berente et al., 2021). Moreover, the knotty challenges that firms encounter are the violation of private data and behavioral manipulation by machine-learning algorithms that allow firms to identify and exploit biases among consumers (Goos and Savona, 2024). In addition, AI could widen the gap amongst developed and emerging markets. The ubiquitous use of AI may also induce the issue of potential job losses (Demirci et al., 2025).

This special issue aims to delve into the business value of AI and provide actionable insights into how firms can deal with the accompanying challenges. We seek studies that shed light on the wide-reaching implications of AI for firms and address the challenges that accompany widespread AI, such as ethical, privacy, and security issues. We especially welcome empirical studies that utilize diverse research methods, such as survey, experiment, event study, econometric methods, etc.

List of Topic Areas

• The applications of AI-based platforms
• The economic and societal implications of generative AI
• The impact of AI on organizational performance
• The operational implications of AI
• The new business models driven by AI
• The business value of AI-enabled intelligent products
• The business value of AI-enabled new service offerings
• The applications of large language models in industrial management
• The interplay between humans and AI agents
• The role of AI in complex decision-making
• The ethical and security issues of AI utilization
• Data and technology governance related to AI
• AI algorithmic bias

Submission Information

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Author guidelines

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Dates

Opening date for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025

Closing date for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2026