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The artificially intelligent entrepreneur: ChatGPT, prompt engineering, and entrepreneurial rhetoric creation

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  • Short, Cole E.
  • Short, Jeremy C.

Abstract

To better understand the role of artificial intelligence in the development of entrepreneurial rhetoric, we examine how generative language models such as ChatGPT serve as viable tools for content creation. Using an established framework for examining CEO celebrity (Creator, Transformer, Rebel, and Savior), we illustrate how such models can effectively produce and refine elevator pitches, social media pitches, and crowdfunding pitches commonly used in the study of entrepreneurial rhetoric. We demonstrate ChatGPT's ability to mimic each celebrity CEO archetype by prompting language in the style of exemplars, including Elon Musk, Indra Nooyi, Tony Hsieh, and Lisa Su. Implications of prompt engineering—the fine-tuning of inputs fed into language models to produce precise output—for entrepreneurship research and practice are discussed. We conclude by advancing the idea that the emergent and enduring value of generative models is, at its core, dependent on effective prompt engineering.

Suggested Citation

  • Short, Cole E. & Short, Jeremy C., 2023. "The artificially intelligent entrepreneur: ChatGPT, prompt engineering, and entrepreneurial rhetoric creation," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobuve:v:19:y:2023:i:c:s2352673423000173
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbvi.2023.e00388
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    3. Robertson, Jeandri & Ferreira, Caitlin & Botha, Elsamari & Oosthuizen, Kim, 2024. "Game changers: A generative AI prompt protocol to enhance human-AI knowledge co-construction," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 499-510.
    4. D'Oria, Laura & Scheaf, David J. & Michaelis, Timothy L. & Lerman, Michael P., 2025. "Para-social mentoring: The effects of entrepreneurship influencers on entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 40(1).
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    7. David B. Audretsch & Maksim Belitski & Rosa Caiazza & Farzana Chowdhury & Matthias Menter, 2023. "Entrepreneurial growth, value creation and new technologies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(5), pages 1535-1551, October.
    8. Fosso Wamba, Samuel & Queiroz, Maciel M. & Chiappetta Jabbour, Charbel Jose & Shi, Chunming (Victor), 2023. "Are both generative AI and ChatGPT game changers for 21st-Century operations and supply chain excellence?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    9. Fossen, Frank M. & McLemore, Trevor & Sorgner, Alina, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship," IZA Discussion Papers 17055, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Benjamin J. McCloskey & Phillip M. LaCasse & Bruce A. Cox, 2024. "Natural language processing analysis of online reviews for small business: extracting insight from small corpora," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 341(1), pages 295-312, October.
    11. Martin Obschonka & Moren Levesque, 2024. "A Market for Lemons? Strategic Directions for a Vigilant Application of Artificial Intelligence in Entrepreneurship Research," Papers 2409.08890, arXiv.org.
    12. Sundberg, Leif & Holmström, Jonny, 2024. "Innovating by prompting: How to facilitate innovation in the age of generative AI," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 561-570.
    13. Manuel Kaiser & Andreas Kuckertz, 2024. "Bibliometrically mapping the research field of entrepreneurial communication: where we stand and where we need to go," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(4), pages 2087-2120, December.

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