The incubation revolution: transforming entrepreneurial education with artificial intelligence

Purpose Universities face challenges due to the absence of artificial intelligence (AI) integration in entrepreneurship education (EE) and its incubation centers for young startups. Making a business plan for their innovative enterprises, which includes market analysis, financial projections, marketing strategy and an operations plan, are a few of the toughest tasks they may face. Aspiring students can make it simple to launch their dream business by integrating AI tools. Hence, this study aims to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to examine the global trend of the transformation of EE with AI and determine the necessity of integrating AI in university incubation centers as a potential future research direction. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors conducted an SLR method to investigate the transformation of EE with AI. This review employed a bibliometric analysis covering the period of 1993–2023 and utilized articles published in scientific journals available in the SCOPUS database as our data source. Findings There is an enormous potential for research on EE using cutting-edge AI in developed and developing nations. There is a lack of studies exploring AI integration into university incubation centers. Hence, there are possible future directions for research into integrating AI into university incubation centers using cutting-edge tools like chatbots, ChatGPT, ChatGen and other AI that will help to develop a comprehensive business plan for students aspiring entrepreneurial venture startups. Research limitations/implications The study’s research was limited using the Scopus database’s core collection, which may ignore other significant research articles. Therefore, the study’s scope can be constrained due to the narrow search parameters. The study, however, tries to establish the importance of its research by offering a thorough review and evaluation of AI in EE. Practical implications There is significance of incorporating AI into EE to foster an EE culture and realize its potential benefits. To transform incubation centers and promote aspirant entrepreneurs in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), higher education institutions (HEIs) should strategically adopt AI. Originality/value This study presents a novel viewpoint by investigating the distinction in AI perception and usage among educators, advocating the incorporation of AI in university incubation centers to help entrepreneurial students. It contributes uniqueness and innovative approaches to early startup issues in EE.