Augmented entrepreneurship : conceptual model of the role of artificial intelligence in researching, recognizing, and capitalizing on business opportunities

Abstract

This paper proposes a conceptual model explaining how artificial intelligence influences the entrepreneurial process, from opportunity recognition to implementation. Drawing on the Dynamic Capabilities Theory, the Entrepreneurial Opportunity Theory, and the Cognitive Theory of Entrepreneurship, the model suggests that the adoption of AI - through its analytical, generative, and cognitive forms - acts upon three key mediators: enhanced cognitive capacity, entrepreneurial creativity, and digital experiential learning. These mechanisms foster both the identification and realization of business opportunities within a logic of augmented entrepreneurship. Furthermore, entrepreneurial orientation is proposed as a moderating factor that strengthens the conversion of cognitive potential into entrepreneurial action. Methodologically, this study adopts an Integrative Review approach, combining classical and recent theoretical contributions to build an original and testable conceptual framework. Overall, this framework offers a renewed understanding of AI’s role in entrepreneurship, positioning technology as a cognitive partner rather than a mere automation tool.

Classification JEL : L26, M13, O33

Paper type: Integrative Review and Conceptual Model