#EoI - AI and Innovation: A leap forward or an oxymoron?

ㅤInnovation is a key to success and competitive advantage in a variety of organizations and industries. But statistically, it is known that most organizations find it difficult to be innovative over time. In recent years, breakthrough technologies in the field of artificial intelligence are claimed to offer the potential to improve productivity and efficiency not only in analytical tasks but also in tasks that require creativity and innovation. Many companies are developing AI-based tools with the promise that they will enhance the innovation capacity of employees and organizations in a variety of industries, from consumer products, financial products, to the invention of medicines and future means of transportation. On the other hand, there is strong criticism against the use of artificial intelligence for creativity since artificial intelligence is based on data from the past and especially against the long-term effects of such use for the degeneration of the creative ability of humans. In this workshop, we will expose participants to both sides of the debate, and share findings from groundbreaking research in the field. Then, with the help of exercises and simulations, participants will experience contemporary artificial intelligence tools in the creative process of creating new products and services. We will discuss the significant opportunities of using these tools alongside the potential challenges and risks. We will also examine the differences in the use of artificial intelligence at the various stages of the ideation process: from generating ideas, developing ideas, selecting and evaluating ideas as well as implementing the idea and spreading it further.

About the speaker

Hila Lifshitz is a Professor of Management at Warwick Business School and a visiting faculty at Harvard University, at the Lab for Innovation Science (LISH). She is heading the Artificial Intelligence innovation Network at WBS.

Professor Lifshitz’s research focuses on developing an in-depth empirical and theoretical understanding of the micro-foundations of scientific and technological innovation and knowledge creation processes in the digital age. She explores how the ability to innovate is being transformed, as well as the challenges and opportunities the transformation means for R&D organizations, professionals and their work. Her recent work on AI for critical decisions the ISSIP Excellence in Service innovation award (2023) and two best paper awards (from the Management Information Systems Quarterly journal and from the Association for Information Systems, 2022). Her first field study was an in-depth 3-year longitudinal field study of NASA’s experimentation with open innovation online platforms and communities, resulting in a scientific breakthrough. This study received the best dissertation Grigor McClelland Award at the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) 2015, Best Administrative Science Quarterly (ASQ) paper based on dissertation (2018) and Best published paper elected by organizational communication and information systems division of Academy of Management (2018).

She investigates new forms of organizing for the production of scientific and technological innovation such as crowdsourcing, open source, open online innovation communities, Wikipedia, hackathons, makeathons and AI based innovation processes. Her work received the prestigious INSPIRE grant from the National Science Foundation and was recognized to have a strong impact on the industry; She received the Industry Studies Association Frank Giarrantani Rising Star award and the Industry Research Institute grant for research on R&D.

Prior to academia, Professor Lifshitz worked as a strategy consultant for seven years, specializing in growth and innovation strategy in telecommunications, consumer goods and finance.

Check Professor Lifshitz on Linkedin

About the Engines of Innovation Series

The Engines of Innovation Series organized by the TU Wien Innovation Incubation Center (i²c) is a format that offers workshops to scientists who are seeking to broaden their horizons in the field of innovation and healthy high performance. These workshops are free of charge to scientists from all faculties and institutes of TU Wien. Registration required.

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Important:

*During the event, photographic and video material will be taken. Please inform the i²c team at the venue in case you do not agree with appearing in this material. The photographic and video material taken at the event will be used by i²c in printed and electronic media for promotional purposes.