Reviewing research on regional development in the AI era — new there(s), new actors, and an old call “from cluster to process”

Abstract

The aim of this review is to present the current state and suggest next steps for research on AI-related regional development. Based on thematic content analysis of 37 articles in key journals of regional development and economic geography, I answer where, by whom, and how AI-related regional development takes place. The results reveal a strong narrative of increasing concentration and regional polarization, and a less considered narrative of the potential of dispersion that also enables the development of remote regions. I suggest advancing research through identifying ‘new there(s)’ as virtual and augmented realities, AI as a new actor, and a methodological step from ‘cluster to process’ to investigate the everyday spatial processes of creating knowledge and being creative with AI that catalyze regional development.