Algorithmic Ghost in the Research Shell: Large Language Models and Academic Knowledge Creation in Management Research

This paper will define AI simply as "computer systems that perform tasks requiring cognition tasks autonomously". This is similar to earlier definitions (Russell, 2010). Emerging phenomena can often be overlooked in management research as they are poorly defined with unclear conceptual concepts and limited empirical data (Yadav, 2018). Large Language models like GPT, however, have growth drivers that suggest that they are worthy of researcher attention and specifically, their impact on academic knowledge production should be identified at this early stage of adoption. Previous academic research in business and management have identified the potential for machine learning analytics to change the nature of theorising in business and management reseach (Leavitt, Schabram, Hariharan & Barnes, 2021). Large Language models such as GPT, however, can go further to influence the nature of academic knowledge production itself in this domain.