Unveiling the Innovation Opportunities Deriving from the Application of Artificial Intelligence to Platform Thinking

This call for papers aims to investigates the emergent business models grounded on two-sided platforms and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in products and services, examining their collective potential to foster innovation. Two-sided platforms are increasingly prevalent in various sectors, connecting disparate customer groups and capitalizing on indirect network externalities to create value. This value is often magnified by the presence of cross-side network effects, where the utility of the platform for one group of users is contingent upon the participation of another. The call for papers also delves into the transformative role of AI in these platforms. AI systems, characterized by their capacity to interpret data and learn autonomously, are being progressively embedded in diverse industries, facilitating personalized services and enhancing operational efficiencies. This technological infusion is not only reshaping traditional transactional business models but also giving rise to hybrid platforms that blend transactional and data-centric functionalities, exemplified by companies such as Uber. The intersection of platform thinking and AI heralds a new wave of innovation, as AI's analytical prowess complements the connective infrastructure of platforms. This synthesis presents numerous opportunities for innovation across various domains, including health, manufacturing, and agri-food sectors. The paper calls for scholarly discourse on this interplay between AI and platform thinking, inviting reflections on the resulting innovation dynamics and the broader implications for knowledge and AI research areas.