A Structured literature review on AI-driven operations: exploring disruption, human value, and implementation challenges

Abstract

This structured literature review explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping operations management through three interconnected lenses: disruption of traditional operational models, evolving forms of human participation, and the persistent gap between strategic intent and implementation. Drawing on 58 peer-reviewed studies across multiple sectors, the review identifies how AI reconfigures decision-making structures, challenges established routines, and introduces new organisational tensions. It highlights that effective AI integration depends not only on technological readiness but also on trust, governance, contextual alignment, and human capability. The review contributes a nuanced understanding of AI-driven operations and responds to recent calls for operations management scholarship to engage more deeply with the complexities of AI implementation. It concludes by proposing future research directions focused on human-AI collaboration, context-sensitive deployment strategies, and the development of governance models that balance performance, accountability, and adaptability.