Page - 121 - in Digital Entrepreneurship - Impact on Business and Society

of thedesired stateor formof thebusinessmodel. In thisway, it shouldbeclarified for entrepreneurs how these AI applications can be differentiated from a strategic perspective inorder tobeable to shape their visionsbymeansof the corresponding AI performance in the businessmodel. A study of the business world is therefore necessary at this point. 2.3 Methodof Investigation For the exploration of the current and partly future use of AI applications in the businesscontext, thefirst question ishowthis shouldbe investigated. In thecontext of this chapter, anattempt ismade togiveapictureof the landscapeofAIuse in the entrepreneurial context.Especially theeffectsona strategic level areof interest. For this to happenwithin a certain framework, a limitation is necessary. The range of enterprises and the related examples of use are numerous in the real world. From innovative start-ups to medium-sized companies and large incumbents, a broad spectrum is opening that presents a challenge. Therefore, the research approach is divided into two parts. First, start-ups are to be investigated and thus how these firms designAI applications andmake themavailable to themarket. In the second part, established, preferably innovative companieswill be examined,which have a clear focus on AI solutions and, if possible, show a broad range of applications. This should not only showwhich application possibilities are already established and therefore practicable, but alsowhichpossibilities exist for companies thatwant to acquire them. Furthermore, this will be done with a focus on explorative case studies, which will be able to give an insight into the use of the technology (cf. Siggelkow 2007, pp. 20–23). Subsequently, the usage and especially the strategic possibilities for innovation throughAIwill be shown.All this is done in thecontext of the business model and its innovation. A connection to the business model should therefore be considered at every point. Table 1 Strategies for AI applications Outsourcing Incremental Profound Disruptor Performance/ Awareness Common Standard Unique/Unrivalled Unchallenged Development Outsourcing Outsourcing/In-house-development In-house-development In-house-development Change potential Minor Minor—moderate Moderate—Profound Profound—disruptive Type of business model innovation Support Support Support/Driver Driver AI-Enhanced BusinessModels for Digital… 125