AI Implementation Beyond the Trees : AI Implementation's Impact on Forest Management Organizations and the Role of AI Service Providers

Sammanfattning

Motivation: Forests play a vital role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation, offering potential for climate crisis mitigation. Implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in forest management organizations therefore holds significant promise for supporting climate actions given the technology’s unique features. Yet, unlocking the full potential of AI implementation in forest management requires change in forest management organizations and offers the opportunity to revolutionize an industry presenting itself with challenging conditions. Purpose: This study aims to uncover the transformative effects of AI on forest management organizations and AI service providers’ role in them. This includes AI’s drivers and barriers as well as necessary changes for its implementation towards a new reality. A special focus is placed on changes in organizational processes, structures, culture, and ecosystem which are investigated leveraging Lewin’s change model as well as technology implementation literature. Methodology: This study employs both a multiple case and multi-method study design. It utilizes semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the forest management industry to assess the AI user perspective of AI implementation as well as changes following AI implementation. This perspective is complemented by the AI service provider view on support provision, gathered via a focus group methodology. Results: The findings confirm and enrich the literature on drivers and barriers of AI implementation for forest management organizations and underscore the importance of adopting a human-centered approach in design and implementation of AI. Moreover, the results indicate necessary organizational changes in all four examined building blocks, that can be facilitated by AI service providers, and point towards a potential power shift of ecosystem actors.