Minds and machines: Rethinking absorptive capacity in the age of artificial intelligence

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The absorptive capacity construct derives its functions, dimensions, and internal relationships from the implicit assumption that humans are the only learning agents underlying knowledge absorption. I posit that the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) challenges this assumption and requires a re-examination of the construct. Through a theory-building abductive study combining conceptual mapping with qualitative interviews, this work investigates the complex relationship between AI and knowledge absorption. It theorizes new dimensions of absorptive capacity pertaining to AI-driven processes and analyzes the interactions between these new dimensions and the traditional facets of the construct. Ultimately, the paper seeks to reaffirm the importance of absorptive capacity in the age of AI and develop a nuanced understanding of AI's role in reshaping the construct's antecedents, mechanisms, and implications.