New Frontiers in Information Systems Theorizing: Human-gAI Collaboration

Summary

The authors observe that theory development at JAIS can feel risky and frustrating due to a lack of divergence and convergence, both in ideas and in the social dynamics among human theorists, and that misconceptions about theory further hamper progress. They examine how generative AI tools may support theory development in information systems through human-gAI collaboration. The piece positions such collaboration as a new frontier in IS theorizing.

Contribution

Examines ways generative AI tools may be useful for developing IS theory through human-gAI collaboration, framing this as a new frontier for theorizing in the field.

Method

Conceptual essay; no empirical evaluation reported in the abstract.

Relevance to RISE

Jarvenpaa (UT Austin) and Klein (Münster) treat generative AI as a theorizing partner, not just a tool, and lay out an IS-research agenda for human-gAI theory development. Methodological reference for RISE pipelines that aim beyond data analysis toward conceptual contribution.

Critique / open questions

Conceptual essay without empirical demonstration; the operational details of human-gAI theorizing workflows and their effects on theory quality are not evaluated in the abstract.