Co-evolving design entrepreneurship : an AI agent for new venture creation

Abstract

Hong Kong requires its design graduates to combine creative problem-solving with entrepreneurial thinking to drive innovation. Traditional design education often lacks practical guidance on entrepreneurship, creating a significant challenge for students starting new ventures. This ongoing project addresses this gap by developing a conversational AI agent (chatbot) that integrates expert entrepreneurs’ cognitive patterns with design theory. The AI agent’s effectiveness will be rigorously tested via a three-arm randomised controlled trial comparing a control group, a standard foundational AI agent, and the expertise-enhanced AI agent. The anticipated outcome is a scalable pedagogical tool that significantly improves the quality of design students’ decisions in venture creation, thereby supporting Hong Kong’s innovation economy.