Does ChatGPT affect users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online Q&A communities?
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of ChatGPT on users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online question-and-answer (Q&A) communities based on social exchange theory and stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a Chinese online Q&A community, and the difference-in-differences (DID) model was employed to verify the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that ChatGPT negatively impacts users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online Q&A communities, with variations observed across different knowledge domains.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to examine the impact of ChatGPT on users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online Q&A communities. The findings provide valuable insights for community managers to develop strategies for mitigating the effects of ChatGPT on online Q&A communities.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China (grant number 22BTQ017).
Citation
Li, G. and Zhu, M.X. (2025), "Does ChatGPT affect users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online Q&A communities?", Aslib Journal of Information Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-06-2024-0512
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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