Not that simple: How can generative artificial intelligence be used to develop college students’ entrepreneurial ability?

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has become increasingly relevant to entrepreneurship education, yet its association with college students' entrepreneurial ability remains contested. To address this gap, we conceptualize GenAI as encompassing both routine and innovative uses, providing a more comprehensive understanding of its role in entrepreneurial ability. Based on questionnaire data, our empirical findings show that both routine and innovative use of GenAI are positively associated with entrepreneurial ability. Moreover, we find that potential and realized absorptive capacity mediate this relationship, while interaction analyses indicate that these associations are stronger at higher levels of design thinking. These findings contribute to the entrepreneurship education literature by revealing the mechanisms and boundary conditions through which GenAI use enhances college students’ entrepreneurial ability. The study also provides insights into how college students can use GenAI more effectively in complex business contexts to strengthen their entrepreneurial ability.