In a candid interview, distinguished scholar Professor Shaker Zahra shared his perspective on the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence, the evolution of academic generations, and the enduring excitement of entrepreneurship. A leading voice in strategy and entrepreneurship, Professor Zahra offered insights rooted in a career that has not only shaped the field but has been profoundly shaped by a unique personal journey.
At the forefront of his current intellectual energy is the profound impact of AI on how businesses create and utilize knowledge. “I have been working with several people on artificial intelligence and how it’s likely to change how knowledge is being created in companies,” Professor Zahra explained. He noted that while knowledge creation was once seen as a purely human endeavour, AI is poised to revolutionize this process, not just by collecting and interpreting vast amounts of information, but potentially by generating its own novel ideas.
“Some people argue that AI is now becoming more and more intelligent and creating knowledge of its own,” he stated, posing a critical question for the future: “How will this change the type of knowledge that executives have and how they use it to compete?”
This global perspective is deeply rooted in his personal journey from Egypt to the United States. He credits the highly competitive academic environment in Egypt with instilling a “sense of independence” and initiative that served him well throughout his career. Furthermore, he believes growing up in a country at the crossroads of history gave him a natural global outlook. “People know a lot about the world,” he said. “I think I carried that with me… Internationalization of my own work, my network, my collaborators, I think that is really one of the best gifts Egypt has given me.”
When asked about the perceived gap between academic generations, Professor Zahra offered a more nuanced perspective, reframing it not as a conflict but as a continuous “intellectual leap.” He acknowledged that the new generation of scholars enters a field with a “much more well-established infrastructure” than their predecessors, who had to fight for the legitimacy of fields like entrepreneurship.
This foundation, however, allows new scholars to tackle different and vital research questions, such as well-being, bringing fresh energy and rigor to the discipline. He emphasized that progress is a collaborative effort, with each generation building upon the foundations laid by the last.
Looking ahead, Professor Zahra expressed immense optimism for both research and practice. “This is a fascinating time,” he concluded. “Given all of the global changes, all of the excitement about entrepreneurship… There are 500 questions to ask in a given day, and you can still make your mark and contribute. It’s a fascinating time in the life of the field.”
