Authenticity on autopilot: AI adoption and digital entrepreneurship among student influencers in the MENA region

Purpose As digital platforms evolve into high-frequency “informal laboratories” for entrepreneurship, student influencers are increasingly navigating the experiential learning cycles of platform capitalism through the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). This study aims to investigate the evolution of entrepreneurship education by examining how AI-mediated content creation shapes the experiential development of student influencers in the Middle East and North Africa region. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on in-depth interviews with 25 student influencers, we analyze how the integration of AI tools transforms the traditional “learning by doing” model into a high-stakes negotiation between human agency and algorithmic “autopilot,” guided by the technology acceptance model (TAM) and uses and gratifications theory (UGT). Findings The findings reveal a “competency paradox”: while AI enhances operational efficiency and monetization, it simultaneously introduces a “cognitive tax” on the authenticity and critical decision-making central to entrepreneurial identity. We argue that these digital ecosystems represent a significant evolution in experiential learning, where opportunity recognition is increasingly conditioned by algorithmic feedback loops. Originality/value The study contributes to management education by proposing a shift toward “algorithmic literacy” and “ethical upskilling,” ensuring that entrepreneurship curricula evolve to support emerging digital entrepreneurs operating at the intersection of human creativity and automated optimization.