Enhancing corporate innovation through generative AI: A case study on Human–AI collaboration

Although Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is revolutionizing corporate innovation processes, little is known about how it fits into Design Thinking (DT). This study uses an exploratory case study in a corporate innovation workshop to examine how GenAI affects three essential DT components: trend identification, brainstorming, and feedback. Using a mixed-methods approach, we assessed participants' perceptions before and after DT activities with and without GenAI help. Our findings demonstrate that GenAI accelerates ideation, improves creative confidence, and promotes trend analysis and feedback integration. However, ethical concerns regarding AI bias and transparency also exist, which emphasizes how important it is to use AI ethically. Human judgement is necessary at every evaluation stage to ensure morally sound and contextually relevant decision- making, even while GenAI promotes efficiency and alternative thinking. This study contributes to the emerging discourse on AI-human collaboration in innovation, offering insights for organizations seeking to integrate GenAI into human-centered design processes.

Authors: T. Pena, A.S. Cunha, J.V. Cordeiro, G. Victorino

Publication date: 2026

Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.102867

Source license: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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