How Does Artificial Intelligence Promote Change and Stability of Organizational Routines? The Role of Automation and Augmentation

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the change and stability of organizations. We focus on automation and augmentation as key dimensions of AI and elaborate their effects on organizational routines. AI can promote change of organizational routines through capacitating new actions or reframing patterns of actions, but also their stability through shielding actions and adhering to actions. Moreover, we suggest that these mechanisms can occur simultaneously and sequentially in different parts of routines. This paper contributes to research on automation and augmentation by explaining how these two applications form a duality. While prior research suggested that actors iterate between both applications over time, we suggest that zones of automation and augmentation coexist within different parts of the action patterns of the same routines. Seen this way, humans and AI work hand in hand to perform those routines. We also contribute to Routine Dynamics research by suggesting mechanisms through which AI may lead to the change and stability of routines.