The Role of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Shaping Business Innovation: Insights from End Users’ Perspectives and Practices

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) advancements intensify pressures on organizations, raising concerns about the potential disruptions they may introduce. Currently, GenAI’s role in business innovation remains largely speculative due to its complexity and sector-specific barriers. This study examines GenAI’s cross-sectorial innovation potential using qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse the reflections of 158 professionals across more than 20 industries globally, with a temporal focus from August 2023 to May 2024. We validate the dataset through a sentiment analysis to ensure that the innovation potential of GenAI is not hindered by the negative emotions of end users, followed by a thematic examination of the valued features of the leading GenAI solutions and a cross-industry investigation of the innovation dimensions identified: user interaction and experience, operational efficiency and optimisation, and technological integration and flexibility. The cross-industry investigation highlights that some industries tend to better capture GenAI innovation capabilities, suggesting that users’ knowledge plays an important role in fostering innovation through GenAI. This study provides valuable insights for practitioners and scholars regarding GenAI’s potential to foster innovative business models.