Co-creation in Business Practice: Implementing AI together at Eye-Level

Co-Creation in Business Practice: Implementing AI together at Eye-Level

How can artificial intelligence (AI) be successfully implemented in workplace practice to create sustainable value not only for the company but also for society? Achieving this requires a holistic view of business, people, and society —specifically during the implementation of AI in companies and, more broadly, in shaping the future of work with AI. It’s a complex task in an environment of rapidly evolving and unpredictable technological development.

AI implementation as an interdisciplinary “team sport” requires effective collaboration. This policy brief presents the concept of "co-creation" as a promising approach to integrating AI into workplace practice together with relevant stakeholders. It highlights relevant core and quality characteristics of co-creation. Based on qualitative interviews with representatives from various German companies, the brief provides practical insights. The findings reveal that some aspects of co-creation are already widely used in AI projects, while others remain untapped.

What is Co-Creation?

Co-creation is understood as a multi-stakeholder process in which various actors leverage collective creativity and intelligence to unlock a specific potential or solve a particular challenge for which there is currently no (complete) solution. It is, therefore, an intensive and creative form of participation that requires the cooperation or collaboration from stakeholders at various points in time.

The following characteristics are highlighted as fundamental, indispensable core-characteristics of co-creation

Stakeholder Participation: Involvement of various stakeholders in different forms

• Co-creation requires a particularly high level of participation in the sense of interdisciplinary collaboration and joint solution development.

Shared Value:

• At the heart of co-creation is the joint development of value that all participants create together and from which all participants benefit in some way.

The following attributes have been identified as quality-characteristics that make Co-Creation successful:

Eye-Level:

• Roles and power dynamics are distributed in such a way that all stakeholders are able and willing to contribute.
• Collaborative tools and decision-making methods can thereby replace traditional status and hierarchy.
• The collaboration is based on the values of empathy and transparency. Through open access to information and a willingness to shift perspectives, each individual can make their best possible contribution.

Prototyping:

• Co-creation has a strong creative element that thrives on collective thinking, trying things out, failing and trying again.
• People in the co-creative process are actively invited to learn: iterative loops, feedback and moments of reflection ensure continuous improvement. This requires a great deal of flexibility and adaptability.

The interviews show that participation, meaning the involvement of numerous experts and stakeholders, has become standard practice in the workplace. However, the extent to which other co-creative qualities are present varies significantly from case to case. The degree of organizational cultural development toward agility appears to play a key role. Additionally, the industry, company size, and the individuals involved, both in operational and leadership roles, have a substantial influence. These differences are described in more detail in the brief.

Key Take-Aways from the Brief:

• The methodological concept of co-creation brings together different stakeholders to find user-centered solutions and makes it possible to tackle challenges collectively. Co-creation is proposed as a suitable approach for the implementation of AI in business practice, as multi-perspectivity and interdisciplinary expertise can lead to higher quality and acceptance of AI solutions. This creates the potential to not only increase the economic benefits but also enhance the human and societal value.

• Qualitative interviews with representatives from various German companies show that co- creative approaches are already being used in the implementation of AI in business practice. However, some of these are limited to simple forms of participation and communication. Core features of co-creation that go beyond this, such as the early involvement of different stakeholders and the development of joint solutions, are not always met.

• The interviews show that important quality features for successful co-creation, such working together as equal partners and the courageous testing of new approaches require low-hierarchy spaces and the development of AI literacy. All practitioners also recommend incremental, creative prototyping to facilitate learning during the AI implementation process. Another success factor is the creation of a corporate culture that actively promotes interdisciplinary, agile collaboration.

• The social impact of AI still receives little attention in individual entrepreneurial AI implementation. The interviews suggest that the focus is more on business and human- centered process design and that there is still little inclusion of perspectives oriented towards the common good.

• Due to rapid technological developments, it can be assumed that AI implementation will have an even more transformative impact on organizational reality in the future. Co-Creation will become even more relevant in this scenario, as the extensive change in roles, decision-making, workflows and collaboration requires a joint design by all those involved.