How does AI surpassing humans influence public innovativeness? A multi-method empirical study

Yongchao Martin Ma and Zhongzhun Deng

Behaviour and Information Technology, 2025, vol. 44, issue 1, 102-119

Abstract: As AI develops, it has become more capable and efficient than humans. We investigate how AI surpassing humans in capabilities and performance (hereafter AI surpassing humans) influences public innovativeness. Based on the research of personal innovativeness motivation and expectation value theory, we propose that AI surpassing humans enhances public innovativeness. A multi-method empirical study proves our hypothesis. In Study 1, we perform textual analysis on 1.2 million tweets. We reveal that people mention more words about innovation for AI surpassing humans. In Study 2, a controlled experiment proves the main and mediating effect. Theoretically, we contribute to the research on the impact of AI and personal innovativeness. This is the first to investigate how AI surpassing humans influences public innovativeness. Meanwhile, we fill this gap in how AI impacts public innovativeness. In addition, our findings have practical implications for government and policymakers, companies, and the public. Especially for government and policymakers, we suggest they need to pay more attention to the potentially overlooked impact of AI outperforming humans on public innovativeness compared with other common techniques. Meanwhile, we point out that encouraging the public to keep human intellectual superiority may attenuate the effect of AI surpassing humans.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2024.2311742

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