Paula Ge­hde

I study how artificial intelligence change the fundamental practices of investment decision-making, particularly in the scouting of new entrepreneurial ventures. 

I will examine how investors assess uncertainties, evaluate potential, and navigate the complex interplay between human judgment and algorithmic support. My research focuses on how the integration of AI changes processes and what this means for entrepreneurial opportunities and (ethical) pitfalls.

Using literature, ethnographic methods, and qualitative interviews, I study how investors adopt AI tools for startup scouting and decision-making. This work shows how seemingly objective algorithmic processes embed cultural assumptions and reproduce existing biases, revealing parallels to discriminatory patterns found in HR selection systems. By documenting these practices as they emerge, my work shows how technological adoption in high-stakes decision-making environments is not neutral nor inevitable. Rather, it is shaped by institutional cultures and power dynamics.

Through research, industry engagement, and policy recommendations, I aim to foster critical conversations about how emerging technologies reshape access to capital and entrepreneurial opportunity in an increasingly algorithm-mediated economy.