The Association Knowledge Cycle

How Associations are Building Connected Intelligence with Generative AI

By Thomas Altman, Robert Barnes CAE, and Dray McFarlane 

We stand at a moment of remarkable transformation. Traditional professional associations and member-driven organizations, once irreplaceable hubs of expertise, education, and networking, are facing unprecedented threats from digital disruption, changing member expectations, and the ambiguous implications of artificial intelligence. The very utility and relevance of these historically invaluable organizations are under scrutiny. Simply put, the core value proposition of many associations—the generation, curation, and dissemination of specialized knowledge—no longer stands unchallenged. In an age when anyone with internet access can instantly crowdsource expertise, why should professionals rely on associations?

This question informed our thinking as we developed a new way of approaching the role and function of knowledge management in associations: the Association Knowledge Cycle™ (AKC). At its core, the AKC is not simply a new method for organizing content or storing information; it is a fundamental shift in the stewardship of collective intelligence within modern associations.