Artificial Intelligence As An Information and Knowledge Management Capability: A Comparative Systematic Literature Review of Managerial Impacts In Africa and Europe

Artificial intelligence has evolved into a strategic organizational capability that shapes information and knowledge management and managerial decision-making. This study conducts a comparative systematic literature review of AI-enabled information and knowledge management across Africa and Europe from 2005 to 2025, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. From an initial corpus of 100 records, 21 peer-reviewed studies were retained and analyzed using descriptive, thematic, and bibliometric techniques. Quantitative evidence reveals the presence of pronounced regional asymmetries. European organizations demonstrate higher AI readiness (avg. 1.01), adoption (avg. 0.83), and knowledge maturity (avg. 0.85), supported by sustained R&D investment (2.2% of GDP) and harmonized regulatory frameworks. African contexts exhibit lower readiness (avg. 0.59) and adoption (avg. 0.51), yet show accelerated post-2018 growth driven by mobile-first and frugal-AI innovations. Across regions, AI enhances decision accuracy and firm performance primarily when it is used to reconfigure organizational and managerial processes, whereas automation-led deployments yield mixed efficiency outcomes. This study advances theory by extending the Knowledge-Based View toward a Dynamic Managerial Capabilities perspective, positioning AI as a context-dependent knowledge transformer, and providing actionable insights for aligning AI deployment with inclusive and sustainable knowledge strategies.