What makes for digital entrepreneurs? The role of AI-related drivers for nascent digital start-up activities

PurposeApplying the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) model, this study aims to explore how AI-driven stimuli (e.g. ChatGPT adoption in entrepreneurship and perceived AI competencies) stimulate individuals’ cognitive organisms (e.g. digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration and exploitation), and how these individually, congruently, and incongruently trigger their behavioral responses (e.g. nascent digital start-up activities).Design/methodology/approachUtilizing a sample of 1326 MBA students in Vietnam with a stratified sampling approach, multiple linear regression and polynomial regression with response surface analysis were used to test hypotheses.FindingsThe findings reveal that ChatGPT adoption in entrepreneurship and perceived AI competencies have a positive and significant impact on individuals’ digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration and exploitation, which in turn, positively affects nascent digital start-up activities. Moreover, the study also reports that digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration and exploitation can be congruently combined with each other to trigger the effects of nascent digital start-up activities.Practical implicationsSome valuable recommendations based on the findings have been provided for practitioners and policymakers.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the academic landscape by validating the SOR model within the context of AI adoption and entrepreneurship. It emphasizes the sequential processes of stimulus, cognitive responses, and behavioral outcomes, shedding light on nuanced effects in the digital entrepreneurial landscape.