Purpose This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) influences employees' social innovation at work, using the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework. Particularly, we examine whether AI impacts social innovation directly or indirectly through its effects on employee creativity and risk-taking. Furthermore, the study investigates the moderating role of employees' trust in AI. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from 243 employees across 12 AI-integrated financial organizations in Iran with the use of the stratified random sampling method and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The findings suggest that AI does not directly drive social innovation. Instead, its impact occurs through employees' creativity and willingness to take risks. Moreover, trust in AI amplifies the positive relationship between AI adoption and both creativity and risk-taking, but it does not moderate the direct relationship between AI use and social innovation. Originality/value This study specifically addresses whether AI fosters employees' creativity, risk-taking and social innovation within the financial sector. The analyses highlight the importance of employee trust and individual factors, such as creativity and risk-taking, in unlocking AI's innovative potential in the workplace.
Hassanzadeh et al. (2026) studied this question.