New digital platforms of generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as Amazon Alexa or OpenAI ChatGPT open up new possibilities for networking with other digital platforms. For example, ChatGPT can be used to request travel services from the Kayak platform or to control many smart home devices via Alexa. The new article by Rainer Alt, Rainer Schmidt and Alfred Zimmermann introduces the characteristics of networked platforms using three generic forms and reflects on their impact on platform competition and regulation from an information technology perspective.
Although networked platforms open up new opportunities for value creation, their less centralized topology poses a challenge for governance and regulation. This is due to the fact that there is no single platform provider orchestrating the network of platforms. Instead, networked platforms are emergent and involve information asymmetries between the interconnected platforms. While existing regulations such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) establish helpful rules, the paper argues for more adaptable and decentralized systems to manage the dynamics in networked platform ecosystems. The illustrative table below summarizes the challenges and possible courses of action.
The article is part of the volume “Regulatory Competition in the Digital Economy - Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Platforms” published by Springer-Verlag by Professors Michael Denga and Lars Hornuf and is available here: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-81089-3.
