Government adoption of generative artificial intelligence and ambidextrous innovation
Zhikai Zhou, Dewen Liu, Zhongjie Chen, Martin Pancho
Abstract
Every information technological revolution has brought about new possibilities for governmental organizational innovation, and the rapid development of Generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) is poised to profoundly impact government governance models and public service supply methods. Understanding the factors influencing government adoption of Gen-AI, and analyzing the impact of such adoption on governmental organizational innovation behavior, have emerged as urgent and cutting-edge topics. Based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and the ambidextrous organization theory, this study systematically analyzes the three-layered driving factors that influence government organizations' adoption of Gen-AI, and examines the impact of Gen-AI on exploratory and exploitative innovation within government organizations. Furthermore, it delves into the influence mechanisms of technology adoption on different innovation behaviors from the meso-institutional and micro-implementation perspectives. At the theoretical level, this study constructs a conceptual framework for understanding the adoption of Gen-AI technology, extends the application scope of the TOE theory and enhances its explanatory power, while also providing new insights into the complexity of technology-enabled organizational innovation. At the practical level, it offers a more strategic perspective and profound implications for government organizations to maintain innovative vitality and achieve sustainable development amidst the wave of intelligent transformation.