Behind the curtain of knowledge creation Surfacing technology’s paradoxical and invisible role in the construction industry

Abstract

The rise of Generative AI marks a turning point in organizational knowledge creation, where the most significant changes often remain unseen. While much attention has been paid to GenAI’s technical capabilities, how GenAI becomes entangled in everyday knowledge practices and the broader implications for organizational knowledge creation remain empirically underexplored. This study applies a sociomaterial lens to examine GenAI’s integration into the daily routines of knowledge workers in the Swedish construction industry, a sector known for its traditionally cautious approach to technology adoption. Drawing on 25 qualitative interviews, the analysis finds that as GenAI becomes embedded in organizational life, its influence is both profound and paradoxical, enabling unprecedented efficiency and collaboration while subtly shifting expertise, trust, and learning into more invisible and informal domains. Building on these sociomaterial insights, the study revisits Nonaka’s SECI model and demonstrates that GenAI increasingly acts as an active co-creator in all phases of organizational knowledge creation. This challenges prevailing human-centered assumptions and calls for a broader recognition of technology’s constitutive role in knowledge management theory and practice. The results highlight the necessity for both research and organizations to address the evolving, informal use of GenAI in order to sustain expertise, trust, and organizational learning in an era of rapidly advancing technology.