Challenges of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Potential in the Digital Economy: A Literature Review

The latest technologies, driven by advances such as quantum computing or generative artificial intelligence (AI), are transforming organizations of all kinds, including businesses. Navigating through emerging technologies is key for the digital economy. Thus, the motivation behind this study is to provide a better insight into the role of AI and quantum technology in the digital economy. With this aim, a systematic review has been conducted of 44 articles, following the PRISMA methodology. The latest technologies have been extensively analyzed, from their fundamentals and theory to diverse applications. The technical requirements of the reviewed technologies have been explored as well as their impact on economic and business practices, particularly in revolutionizing business and finance data analytics. Special attention has been paid to the ethical and legal challenges, especially concerning human–AI relationships. Significant applications in sectors such as mobile networks, education, medicine, cybersecurity, and astronomy have been identified. Moreover, the article addresses the unique challenges associated with generative adversarial networks based on game theory. The importance of generative AI in improving educational methods, especially in higher education and professional training, is evidenced. It has been observed that innovative content generation applications are expected to emerge, and that scientific advancements may bring about metaverse integration. Lastly, the growing trend of delegating research processes to large language models, such as generative AI, has raised concerns about the perception of the scientific and academic community and the value of researchers’ work.