A University of Saskatchewan (USask) researcher is tackling the complexity of technological advancements like AI and investigating how digital businesses respond to changes, in two research projects funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

With the 2025 SSHRC Insight Development Grant, Dr. Shan Wang (PhD), professor in management information systems at USask’s Edward’s School of Business, is observing AI-powered innovations in fitness apps and how users respond to AI-driven fitness programs.

“There are a variety of innovations in this field, such as AI coaches, motion monitoring and nutrition recommendations and meal plans based on your fitness goals,” said Wang.

In her study, Wang is assessing how users respond to different AI fitness apps, measuring how users’ needs, like exercise goals or social interaction, are satisfied by these apps.

“We’re identifying and measuring user gratification. For example, do users become more capable of achieving their exercise goals, and does the app fulfil any social needs?” said Wang. “We’re also conceptualizing and assessing different AI attributes—specifically, whether users perceive AI-powered fitness apps as intelligent or human-like? This makes a difference in the gratifications that users can derive from these apps.”

Wang said that users have varying levels of demand for social connection. For instance, older generations have higher social needs than younger generations. Demand for social connections can affect how users respond to AI fitness apps. Wang said that, in general, users with higher demand for social connections are more responsive to human-like attributes of AI fitness apps.

Along with social connection, Wang said that users need to trust an AI coach if they are going to use the app as a companion to reach their fitness goals.

“Are users willing to follow the virtual agent’s suggestions and recommendations? We found that user gratification is higher if there is trust between the user and the AI coach. If there is trust, then the users are more likely to meet their goals and stick with the program,” said Wang.

AI isn’t the only digital innovation that Wang is interested in exploring. As a recipient of the 2024 SSHRC Insight Grant, Wang is using this investment for a separate research project that analyzes how digital spaces adapt to change.

“A digital platform is kind of like an ecosystem. It includes multiple actors such as buyers, sellers and developers, and has its own governance system within a digital infrastructure,” said Wang. “The interconnectivity of these elements in the ecosystem as well as their interactions with the broader social, economic and political environment, makes them a kind of social-ecological system which is exposed to environmental changes. It needs to be resilient and respond to those changes to be successful.”

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, e-commerce sites pivoted and responded to what Wang refers to as an environmental shock by offering new support for sellers and opening new categories for vendors.

“So, when the environment changed, say with COVID-19, digital platforms needed to adapt and absorb some shocks. In general, a digital platform should not only absorb such shocks but see them as an opportunity to evolve,” said Wang.

Wang is working to better define this complex topic, developing both a framework and instruments to measure different types of digital resiliencies.

“We’re looking at two kinds of resilience—absorptive and transformative. Meaning, can the platforms adapt or absorb changes in the external environment, such as economic changes or world events, and are they able to learn from that and find the opportunity to evolve and transform into a better state,” said Wang.

This project aims to develop a tool that digital platforms could use to measure their resiliency and develop what Wang calls a nomological network.

“This nomological network facilitates the understanding of resilience, including what leads to it and the consequences of it. This knowledge offers value in guiding digital platforms to improve their capability in preparing for and responding to environmental shocks, helping digital businesses thrive in an ever-shifting digital landscape,” said Wang.

Wang’s research into these digital spaces help expand our understanding of an environment that is always evolving and rapidly changing—but not going away any time soon.

“With so many rapid advancements, it’s very important for us to understand the impact these digital spaces have on individual and organization behaviour and how individuals and organizations respond to changes in these spaces,” said Wang.