AI and the Creative Economy : Transforming Content Creation and Influencer Entrepreneurship

In recent years, the profound impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on fostering new forms of entrepreneurship has become increasingly evident. Entrepreneurs worldwide are harnessing the capabilities of AI to develop innovative solutions and create businesses that address pressing challenges.

Despite the growing recognition of AI’s potential, there exists a crucial need to deepen understanding and awareness surrounding how individuals are leveraging AI to establish novel ventures. Many entrepreneurs are pioneering initiatives that deploy AI technologies to tackle complex problems. This challenge revolves around the imperative to explore, document, and comprehend the diverse ways in which AI is driving the emergence of new businesses, solving real-world problems, and reshaping the entrepreneurial landscape. It underscores the necessity for entrepreneurs, researchers, and the wider community to grasp the transformative role of AI in fostering innovation and enabling the creation of businesses dedicated to addressing societal issues. Addressing this challenge will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the synergy between AI and entrepreneurship, paving the way for informed and impactful ventures that leverage the full potential of AI technologies.

In this respect, the purpose of this book is to offer an in-depth exploration of the intersection between AI and entrepreneurial ventures. The book aims to provide a contemporary and thorough analysis of how AI is playing a pivotal role in shaping new forms of entrepreneurship across various industries. It seeks to illuminate the ways in which entrepreneurs are leveraging AI technologies to drive innovation, address challenges, and create businesses that contribute to societal progress.

Focusing on the intersection of AI and the creative economy, this book examines the role of AI in content creation, social media, and influencer entrepreneurship. It provides a snapshot of current research, identifies gaps in knowledge, and presents case studies of content creators who have successfully integrated AI into their workflows. This book highlights the impact of AI on various forms of content creation, including educational, lifestyle, health, and entertainment content. It also includes a comprehensive syllabus for training entrepreneurs on leveraging AI for content creation, emphasizing the balance between technological advancements and maintaining authenticity.

Richard Boateng is a Professor in Information Systems at the University of Ghana Business School. He is a technology researcher who focuses on developing, communicating, protecting, promoting ideas and concepts into projects of commercial value and development impact. The AD Scientific Index (Alper-Doger Scientific Index) 2021 and 2022 ranked Prof. Richard Boateng as the number one (#1) Scholar in ICT for Development/E-business Research in Ghana and 9th in Africa. He was also ranked the number four (#4) Scholar in General Business and Management Research in Ghana and 24th in Africa in 2022. He is also the associate editor of the Information Technologies & International Development Journal and serves on the editorial board of the Information Development Journal. His research experience covers the artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, digital economy, cloud computing, e-learning, information, and communication technologies (ICT) for development, electronic governance, social media, electronic business, gender and technology, mobile commerce, and mobile health at the national, industrial, organisational and community levels. His research and project funds have been obtained from organizations including Mastercard Foundation, GIZ (German Development Agency, Ghana), World Wide Web Foundation (USA), Vodafone Group (Global/UK), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), International Development Research Centre (Canada), and the World Bank. On three occasions, Prof. Boateng has been invited to contribute to global reports on the digital economy. First, by the Renowned Economist, Diane Coyle for the Vodafone Global PLC.’s Socio-economic Impact of Mobiles (SIM) Report; second, by the World Wide Web Foundation for the 2019 Women’s Rights Online Survey; and third as a panelist at the 2022 UNCTAD Global eCommerce Week, speaking on The AfCFTA and Data Governance Frameworks in Africa.

Sheena Lovia Boateng is a senior lecturer at the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the University of Ghana Business School. Her research interests span artificial intelligence and marketing, gender and technology, influencer marketing, online pharmaceutical marketing, online relationship marketing, digital business, and electronic learning. Her research has been widely published.

Thomas Anning-Dorson is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and a Research Associate at the School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems, University of Johannesburg. Thomas is an enthusiastic scholar and management consultant with a keen interest in the issues of Innovation, Strategy, Digitalization, Enterprise Growth, and Marketing in Emerging Markets.

Obed Kwame Adzaku Penu is a researcher at the University of Ghana. He recently completed a PhD in Information Systems at the University of Ghana. He also holds an MPhil in Management Information Systems from the same university. He is a Jacobs Foundation CERES Scholar and a “Building a New Generation of Academics in Africa” (BaNGA-Africa) scholar. Obed has worked on numerous projects, including the 2022 Fairwork Foundation project on evaluating the labour practices of gig workers in Ghana. He has also been a consultant on the Social Agriculture project by Caribou Digital in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. He was also a researcher on the devices and connectivity needs assessment survey along the Shea Value Chain, and a Mastercard Foundation commissioned a project.