Leveraging human–AI conjoint agency for innovation process management/new product development

This chapter examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming innovation process management through human–AI conjoint agency within the five stages of new product development: opportunity identification, concept generation, project evaluation, product development, and market launch. It argues that AI’s greatest potential lies not in replacing human innovators but in augmenting their capabilities, systematising creativity, and enhancing decision-making across the innovation pipeline. AI’s capacity to process vast, unstructured datasets enables earlier and more accurate opportunity identification, revealing unmet needs and emerging trends that inform strategic foresight. During concept generation, AI mitigates human cognitive limits and biases, synthesising insights and generating diverse ideas, while humans supply contextual judgement and emotional intelligence. In project evaluation, AI supports rational decision-making through knowledge management and data analytics, yet human oversight remains critical to interpret complex trade-offs and maintain ethical and strategic alignment. At the product development stage, AI accelerates prototyping and simulation, shortening iteration cycles and reducing costs, although excessive automation risks design misalignment without human intervention. In market launch, AI strengthens marketing, forecasting, and supply-chain responsiveness through predictive analytics and personalization but raises governance and accountability concerns. Overall, the chapter positions AI as a complementary rather than substitutive force – more dominant in data-intensive front-end innovation and supportive in back-end stages requiring intuition and experience. Future research should explore evolving human–AI role configurations, governance mechanisms, and ethical implications as organizations adapt to increasingly autonomous and intelligent innovation systems.