Transforming personal knowledge management: exploring the role of Generative AI Chatbots in an organizational context

Abstract

This thesis explores the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) chatbots on personal knowledge management (PKM) and organizational knowledge management (KM). The empirical study examines how generative AI chatbots influence individual knowledge workers' ability to manage information, create and apply knowledge, and transfer insights. Through a mixed-methods approach involving interviews with project managers and company engineers, the research identifies both the benefits and limitations of GenAI chatbots in affecting workers’ knowledge management practices and their root causes. Benefits include condensing information sources, user-friendly explanations, and quality of communication, while limitations pertain to over-reliance on AI output and the unreliability of the AI black-box. The study concludes with recommendations for integrating GenAI chatbots into KM systems of organizations, emphasizing the need for expert supervision and the development of complementary human-AI collaboration strategies.