Abstract
The integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into knowledge work holds immense potential and poses significant risks at the same time. While it may increase productivity, one of the key risks is the GenAI-induced homogenisation of knowledge workers’ output, which could eventually lead to a loss of innovativeness and excellence. Has knowledge work embarked on a path towards generative monoculture? Based on a field experiment involving 99 knowledge workers from a multinational industrial corporation, we found that indeed significant homogenisation effects occur in terms of style and content when knowledge workers are supported by GenAI (versus when they are not) across three representative knowledge work tasks, namely knowledge acquisition, knowledge packaging, and knowledge creation. However, we also provide initial evidence that these effects might be mitigated through advanced prompting and (more) critical handling of GenAI output by knowledge workers. Implications for research and managerial practice are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Bottesch, Sven, "Towards Generative Monoculture? Insights from a Field
Experiment on Style and Content Homogenisation Effects in
GenAI-Supported Knowledge Work" (2025). ACIS 2025 Proceedings. 290.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/acis2025/290