Revisiting <i>ba</i> : How generative AI transforms knowledge creation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to revisit the foundational concept of ba to examine how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) reshapes knowledge creation processes at the individual level. This paper asks whether GenAI is merely an enabler of knowledge or whether it can itself constitute a ba, a dynamic space in which knowledge is formed, explored and stabilized through interaction. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts a conceptual and theory-building approach, grounded in the knowledge management literature and enriched by recent studies on human–AI collaboration. Drawing on stylized facts, illustrative scenarios and prior research, the authors introduce the notion of Reflective ba (AI-mediated), a protected cognitive environment in which individuals engage with GenAI during the early stages of ideation and sensemaking. Findings This paper develops a five-stage model describing how individual interactions with GenAI support the emergence of new knowledge. This study identifies enabling conditions (social, cognitive, technical and organizational) required for this AI-mediated ba to function. Originality/value This study offers a novel micro-level conceptualization of human–AI interaction in knowledge work. This paper extends the theory of ba by recognizing GenAI as not only a technological enabler but also a potential site of knowledge creation itself. By reframing ba in light of GenAI, the authors contribute to the emerging discourse on how cognitive and epistemic agency are distributed between humans and machines in knowledge-intensive environments.