The reconfiguration of entrepreneurship: how digital platforms and artificial intelligence transform the entrepreneurial process

Entrepreneurship is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI). While prior research has largely conceptualized these technologies as tools that entrepreneurs adopt, we argue they are now reshaping the entrepreneurial process itself. In this study, we develop a framework of the platform-AI driven entrepreneurial process, illustrating how core phases—opportunity discovery, business model experimentation, resource configuration, market entry and scaling—are being transformed. We identify four underlying mechanisms of this transformation: cognitive externalization, digital embeddedness, process compression, and outsourced legitimacy. These mechanisms reconfigure the cognitive, temporal, relational, and institutional foundations of entrepreneurship, fundamentally changing how entrepreneurs make decisions, develop ventures and mobilize resources. We further clarify how these developments contribute to a bounded democratization of entrepreneurship, broadening access while simultaneously introducing new dependencies and risks. Finally, we outline promising avenues for future research aimed at advancing our understanding of entrepreneurship in the era of platforms and AI.