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Korean Academic Society of Business Administration
[ Article ]
korean management review - Vol. 54, No. 6, pp.1939-1964
ISSN: 1226-1874 (Print)
Print publication date 31 Dec 2025
Received 11 Jul 2025 Revised 29 Oct 2025 Accepted 12 Nov 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17287/kmr.2025.54.6.1939

Productivity Spillovers from Generative AI: How ChatGPT Adoption Reshapes Digital Engagement

Haeun Kim ; Sungho Park ; Juwon Hong ; Dahye Lee
(First Author) Seoul National University haeun047@snu.ac.kr
(Corresponding Author) Seoul National University spark104@snu.ac.kr
(Co-Author) Seoul National University juwonhong@snu.ac.kr
(Co-Author) Seoul National University leedahye@snu.ac.kr
김하은 ; 박성호 ; 홍주원 ; 이다혜
(주저자) 서울대학교
(교신저자) 서울대학교
(공저자) 서울대학교
(공저자) 서울대학교


Copyright 2025 THE KOREAN ACADEMIC SOCIETY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This study demonstrates how generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, influences user engagement across digital platforms beyond direct substitution or functional overlap. Using detailed user-level data from Nielsen Korea’s KoreanClick+ panel and a Difference-in-Differences design with Propensity Score Matching, we show that ChatGPT adoption is associated with increased total device usage, with stronger effects observed on PC devices and among users with lighter baseline engagement. Furthermore, users primarily reallocate engagement toward platforms they already frequent, suggesting that generative AI reinforces existing usage patterns rather than leading to the expansion into new platforms. We propose that these indirect behavioral spillovers may be driven, in part, by productivity gains that reduce cognitive effort, a finding consistent with Cognitive Load Theory. These findings highlight the broader impact of generative AI on digital engagement and provide a potential theoretical lens for understanding the underlying mechanisms.

Keywords:

Generative AI, ChatGPT, Digital Engagement, Cognitive Load, Spillover

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∙ The author Haeun Kim is a Ph.D. candidate at SNU Business School, Seoul National University. Her main research areas include digital marketing, retailing, advertising, and generative AI.

∙ The author Sungho Park is a tenured professor at SNU Business School, Seoul National University. His primary research areas include retail, AI and digital innovation.

∙ The author Juwon Hong is a Ph.D. candidate at SNU Business School, Seoul National University. Her main research areas include generative AI and AI agents.

∙ The author Dahye Lee graduated from the Master’s program at SNU Business School, Seoul National University. Her primary research area is generative AI.