How AI accelerates innovation: the power of 'recombination'
Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are inextricably linked. But how can AI truly contribute to innovation?
Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are inextricably linked. But how can AI truly contribute to innovation? A recent scientific paper from the University of Chicago offers a new perspective: AI, and in particular large language models (LLMs), prove to be extremely suitable for 'Recombinatory Innovations', innovation that arises from combining existing ideas and insights.
Many innovations are not entirely new discoveries, but arise from the clever combination of existing knowledge. Scientists call this recombinatory innovation. Consider how the smartphone brought together elements of a camera, a phone, and a computer into one device.
According to the research, people often struggle to initiate this form of innovation independently, for two reasons:
- Insights develop at lightning speed, making it difficult to keep up with everything.
- The amount of information is overwhelming, making it difficult to establish the right connections.
This is where AI comes in. Language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot can:- Process large amounts of information and quickly filter relevant insights.- Establish hidden connections between knowledge from different domains.- Suggest new applications, based on existing knowledge.
This means that AI doesn't so much generate entirely new ideas, but rather helps combine and restructure existing knowledge, thereby accelerating innovation.
This principle is not only relevant for scientists but also for companies that want to use AI for innovation. Imagine:
- In healthcare, AI can combine existing medical research to identify new treatment methods.
- In product development, AI can analyse trends and customer needs and link them to existing technologies.
- In marketing and strategy, AI can help combine successful ideas from different industries into new growth opportunities.
- Best AI tools
- GEO: discoverable in AI search engines
- Writing AI prompts
Job van den Berg is an AI keynote speaker, tech entrepreneur and author of five books on AI. He ships AI agents into production every week and delivers 150+ keynotes a year on AI agents and agentic commerce.
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