THE EFFECTS OF PAYING ATTENTION TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON FIRM PERFORMANCE: MODERATING AND MEDIATING ANALYSES

Drawing upon the theory of attention-based view (ABV), we explore why and how a firm’s attention affects its action on artificial intelligence (AI) and performance. As attention is a cognitive mechanism for information processing, we argue that an increase in a firm’s selective attention to AI enhances the firm’s performance, particularly when the focal firm is facing an environment with abundant opportunities. In addition, an increase in the focal firm’s attention to AI drives its action on AI patenting, which is one major strategy for responding to new technologies and enhancing firm performance. Moreover, we further assert that the positive impact of a firm’s attention to AI on firm performance is mediated by the action on AI patenting. Testing 300 companies indexed by the S&P 500 from 2012 to 2022, we find our premises supported and contribute to the current research on AI, ABV, and innovation management.