Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has had a phenomenal growth in the past few years. There has been a concomitant increase in both academic and general news articles discussing both the virtues and pitfalls related to the use of AI. Despite its popularity, there has not been a general framework developed to help guide researchers to consider key boundary settings to develop theoretical models of AI’s impact both within and across settings. To address this, we propose a conceptual framework spanning three dimensions: level of impact, time frame of impact, and type of impact. We illustrate this framework with an example in which we create a Temporal-Valence model examining the intersections between the dimensions in the context of Generative AI (GenAI). Our theoretical model highlights four distinct zones of transformation: Productive Reinforcement, Fragile Acceleration, Reflective Learning, and Entrenched Erosion. Each zone represents a distinct trajectory linking immediate experiences of GenAI use to enduring outcomes for individual capability and organizational performance. The framework informs research and practice by providing a lens or overview of both existing theories and/or theoretical models and by providing a prospective basis for generating new ones to understand the impact of using AI. Furthermore, we provide an initial set of questions to guide one on how to use the framework.

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