Dear Colleagues,
We are putting together a presenter symposium entitled "Using Generative AI in Creative Work: Implications for Working, Professional Identities, and Careers" to be submitted for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your work for the inclusion in this symposium.
While AI may help creative workers expand their artistic possibilities, its proficiency in creative content creation has also led to outsourcing skilled artistic labor to AI systems, resulting concerns over artistic careers – and also what it means to be a creative worker. We organize this symposium to highlight scholarship that seeks to understand the connections between generative AI, creative work, professional identities, and careers. First, we invite presentations addressing how individuals are using AI in the context of creative work and how it shapes their daily work practices and routines. Second, we are interested in including presentations unraveling how workers are responding to AI as a tool to aid creativity (e.g., attitudes, emotional reactions, beliefs, etc.). Third, we look forward to including presentations addressing how the implementation of generative AI in creative work shapes workers' professional identities and careers. A detailed symposium description is attached below.
If you are interested in joining this symposium, please, email Karissa Beesley (kbeesle@umich.edu) with a title and a 250- to 500-word abstract of your research relevant to this symposium proposal by November 14th, 2025. We will complete the selection process and notify you of our decision by November 21st, 2025. Extended abstracts are due December 10th, 2025. The deadline for the AOM final submissions is January 13th, 2026.
Best wishes,
Mari & Karissa
Academy of Management 2026 Presenter Symposium: Call for Contributions
Symposium Title: Using Generative AI in Creative Work: Implications for Working, Professional Identities, and Careers
Symposium Chairs: Mari Kira, University of Michigan, USA (marikira@umich.edu) and Karissa Beesley, University of Michigan, USA (kbeesle@umich.edu)
Symposium Format: Presenter Symposium
Targeted divisions: Careers (CAR), Communication, Digital Technology, and Organization (CTO), Organizational Behavior (OB),
Abstract
Creativity has long been considered a uniquely human ability, and it is highly sought after in work settings as a conduit for growth and innovation (Bain, 2005; Panigrahy & Pradhan, 2015). However, generative AI now has capabilities that mimic aspects of the creative process (e.g., connecting ideas, producing content that did not exist before; Lee, 2022), challenging traditional notions of creativity and raising questions about its use in various work settings. While creative workers may view generative AI as a tool to expand their artistic possibilities, its proficiency in creative content creation has also led to outsourcing skilled artistic labor to AI systems, resulting in backlash and concern (Nair et al., 2025). In this context, creative workers face the challenge of adjusting their professional identities to evolving generative AI (Fraser-Arnett, 2019) and crafting sustainable careers in such disruptive times (De Vos, 2024).
Most research on how generative AI is shaping workers' daily work, professional identities, and careers remains largely speculative. The goal of this presenter symposium is to bring together research on the connections between generative AI, creative work, professional identities, and careers. Specifically, first, we invite presentations addressing how individuals are using AI in the context of creative work and how it shapes their daily work practices and routines. Second, we are interested in including presentations unraveling how workers are responding to AI as a tool to aid creativity (e.g., attitudes, emotional reactions, beliefs, etc.). It has been speculated that whether AI is a beneficial creative collaborator or not may depend on the negative or positive views that humans hold towards it (Amabile, 2020). Finally, we look forward to including presentations addressing how the implementation of generative AI in creative work shapes workers' professional identities and careers. For example, how does generative AI pose threats and opportunities for creative workers' professional identities, and how do they work on their professional identities in response? How are creative workers' career construction, career paths, and career sustainability impacted by generative AI?
If you are interested in joining this symposium, please, email Karissa Beesley (kbeesle@umich.edu) with a title and a 250- to 500-word abstract of your research relevant to this symposium proposal by November 14th, 2025. We will complete the selection process and notify you of our decision by November 21st, 2025. Extended abstracts are due December 10th, 2025. The deadline for the AOM final submissions is January 13th, 2026.
References
Amabile, T. M. (2020). Creativity, artificial intelligence, and a world of surprises. Academy of Management Discoveries, 6(3), 351-354. https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2019.0075.
Bain, A. (2005). Constructing an artistic identity. Work, Employment and Society, 19(1), 25-46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017005051280.
De Vos, A. (2024). Enhancing the sustainability of careers in disruptive times. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 53(1), 8-17. https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.5302.
Fraser-Arnott, M. A. (2019). Evolving practices and professional identity: How the new ways we work can reshape us as professionals and a profession. IFLA journal, 45(2), 114-126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0340035218810960.
Lee, H. K. (2022). Rethinking creativity: Creative industries, AI and everyday creativity. Media, Culture & Society, 44(3), 601-612. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221077009.
Nair, A. S., Solanki, C., Thomas, N. P., & Karim, S. S. (2025, January). Impact of AI Art on Artists and Perception of Visual Generative AI: A Systematic Literature Review. In International Conference on Research into Design (pp. 171-182). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-5495-6_13.
Panigrahy, N. P., & Pradhan, R. K. (2015, March). Creativity and innovation: Exploring the role of HR practices at workplace. In Presentation of Paper at National Conference organized by Ravenshaw B-School, Cuttack.
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Mari Kira
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor MI
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