Opening a career door!: The role of ChatGPT adoption in digital entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and exploitation

• ChatGPT adoption in entrepreneurship positively affects digital entrepreneurial identity aspiration, digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration and exploitation. • Digital entrepreneurial identity aspiration positively affects digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration and exploitation. • Digital entrepreneurial identity aspiration significantly mediates the impacts of ChatGPT adoption in entrepreneurship on digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration and exploitation. • Technostress negatively moderates the impact of ChatGPT adoption in entrepreneurship on digital entrepreneurial identity aspiration, digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration and exploitation. This study aims to extend the Stimulus-Organism-Responses (SOR) model by investigating the influence of AI-related stimulus, particularly ChatGPT adoption in entrepreneurship, on individuals’ cognitive organism (e.g., digital entrepreneurial identity aspiration) and subsequent behavioral responses (e.g., digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration and exploitation) as well as testing the negative moderation of stressor (i.e., technology anxiety). Using a sample of 1326 MBA students in Vietnam with a stratified sampling approach, structural equation modeling (SEM) is employed to rigorously examine the proposed relationships and test the moderation effect. The findings of the study unravel the complex dynamics within the extended SOR model, showcasing positive relationships between ChatGPT adoption in entrepreneurship and digital entrepreneurial identity aspiration, digital entrepreneurial opportunity exploration, and exploitation. Additionally, the research sheds light on the mediating role of digital entrepreneurial identity aspiration and the moderating effect of technology anxiety, providing nuanced insights into how these factors interact in the context of digital entrepreneurship. This research advances the academic discourse by applying the SOR framework to the context of digital entrepreneurship, investigating how AI-driven stimuli influence cognitive and behavioral dimensions. The inclusion of technology anxiety as a stressor adds a novel dimension, addressing the often-overlooked psychological barriers associated with AI adoption in entrepreneurial contexts. Practitioners can draw practical insights from this research to strategically leverage AI technologies in fostering digital entrepreneurial identity, navigating digital opportunities, and overcoming challenges posed by technology anxiety. While this study offers valuable contributions, its reliance on self-reported data and a cross-sectional design may limit causal inferences and generalizability. Future research should consider longitudinal designs and diverse samples, such as established entrepreneurs or non-Asian populations, to explore ChatGPT adoption in broader contexts.