Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Early-Stage Entrepreneurs : A Qualitative Study with a Focus on Marketing

Sammanfattning

In recent years, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly influenced marketing practices across various industries, with many organizations increasingly integrating AI tools into their marketing activities. While prior research has largely examined AI adoption in large and well-resourced organizations, less attention has been given to how AI tools are used in marketing within resource-constrained early-stage ventures. This study explores how early-stage entrepreneurs utilize AI tools in their marketing activities and the impacts these tools have on their marketing operations, focusing on five key marketing activities: market research and trend analysis, customer segmentation, content creation, pricing optimization, and sales forecasting. This research adopts a qualitative exploratory design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six early-stage entrepreneurs selected through purposive sampling based on their experience using AI tools within their marketing practices. The interview data were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis, guided by an integrated theoretical framework combining the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Resource-Based View (RBV). The findings show that generative AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, are widely used by early-stage entrepreneurs, but adoption is selective across marketing functions. AI is used most intensively for content creation and market research, where it supports idea generation, competitor analysis, and rapid synthesis of market insights. Its use in customer segmentation remains exploratory, while adoption in pricing optimization and sales forecasting is limited due to the higher risks associated with inaccurate outputs. The results also reveal a hybrid AI–human approach in which AI enhances efficiency while human judgment remains central to verification and strategic decision-making. This study contributes to the literature on AI adoption in entrepreneurial marketing by showing that early-stage entrepreneurs integrate AI tools selectively across marketing activities while maintaining a hybrid AI–human approach to support efficiency and strategic decision-making.