The Influence of AI Competency and Soft Skills on Innovative University Competency: An Integrated SEM–Artificial Neural Network (SEM–ANN) Model
This study examines the interrelationships among AI Competency (AIC), Soft-Skill Competency (SSC), Strategic Intelligence (SI), and Innovative University Competency (IUC) within the context of Thailand’s higher education transformation. Grounded in Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT), Human Capital Theory (HCT), and the Strategic Intelligence Framework (SIF), the study explores how technological and human-centered capabilities collectively enhance institutional innovation. A quantitative explanatory research design was employed, and data were collected from 475 academic and administrative staff across six faculties at Mahasarakham University. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized causal relationships and mediating effects among the constructs. The findings reveal that all proposed hypotheses were supported. AI Competency exerted the strongest total effect on IUC, indicating its pivotal role in driving innovation both directly and indirectly through Strategic Intelligence and Soft-Skill Competency. SSC also demonstrated a significant total effect, underscoring the importance of collaboration, communication, adaptability, and problem-solving in fostering innovative ecosystems. Strategic Intelligence emerged as a key mediating mechanism, transforming technological and human capabilities into innovative outcomes through analytical foresight, evidence-based judgment, and organizational agility. The model demonstrated excellent goodness-of-fit indices, confirming both theoretical rigor and empirical robustness. The study contributes to the literature by integrating digital capability, human adaptability, and strategic cognition into a unified framework for university innovation. In practice, the results emphasize that sustainable innovation in higher education requires the synergistic development of AI literacy, soft skills, and strategic foresight.
