Platform-Based Firm-Driven Quadruple Helix Model in Artificial Intelligence Innovations: Evidence From iFLYTEK in China

The fanfare surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) transformation often hails the sophisticated technology used to develop Big Data, yet better technology does not equal better transformation. In this article, we draw on an in-depth case study of iFLYTEK, a pioneer in the AI industry of Hefei, Anhui province in China, investigating how the platform-based firm fosters AI innovations by aligning the quadruple helix model. The article finds that the university helix has changed from technology support to ecosystem participation. The role of the government helix has shifted from being the resources supplier and solutions buyer to resources coordinator and solutions coregulator. The industry helix has been upgraded from the mode of benefiting individual entrepreneurs to the mode of empowering the whole industry. The user helix transitioned from the innovation feedback to the innovation input by focusing on interdependence among tiers of user in AI solutions. This article unravels the importance of the quadruple helix model in the context of AI innovations, where the sociotechnical meaning of AI converges as different helices closely collaborate as a whole through emerging roles. It also contributes to the existing helix model by introducing the platform-based firm as the driver that blends elements of AI innovations and the roles of different helices.