Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Social Innovation: A Literature Review
Purpose: The aim of this paper is to identify and synthesise the contribution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the broad sense to the process of creating social innovation, based on a five-component model of the social innovation process (Lewandowski, 2023). An additional aim is to synthesise available academic publications on this subject. The study is an empirical continuation of the analysis initiated in the article ‘The Strive to Social Innovation that thrives on the mobile application: A Case Study of Too Good To Go’, where the model of the social innovation process, based on components (Challenge, Participation, Creative Solution, Empowerment, Change), was adapted and described. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study is conceptual in nature and uses a qualitative approach. A literature review was conducted as a theoretical basis for the concept of social innovation. The analytical part was based on desk research, which resulted in a collection of articles meeting specific inclusion criteria. The selected publications are presented in a table. The articles were subjected to qualitative content analysis in the context of the selected social innovation model as an analytical framework and were subjected to descriptive synthesis. Findings: The analysis showed that there are many ways of addressing social challenges with the help of AI, which have been described in scientific literature. Based on the analysis of the social innovation process model, the contribution of individual solutions described in publications was demonstrated, and it was possible to link these solutions to selected stages of the social innovation process. Practical Implications: The results provide structured insights that inspire action, enhance implementation, and encourage the responsible use of AI's potential to solve pressing societal challenges. Originality/Value: In this publication, the latest articles combining the topics of social innovation and artificial intelligence were analysed. The model used in the study was employed to verify how AI solutions can contribute to the creation of social innovation.