Social Paradigm Shift Promoted by Generative Models: A Study on the Trend from Result-Oriented to Process-Oriented Paradigm

This study examines how generative models may drive a shift in contemporary social paradigms from a predominantly result-oriented logic toward a process-oriented paradigm. Rather than treating this shift as a normative or purely cultural change, the study approaches it as a structurally driven transformation rooted in the technical characteristics of generative models themselves. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review, interdisciplinary theoretical analysis, and mechanism-oriented case analysis across multiple domains, the study first identifies a set of core process-oriented features inherent in generative models, including iterativeness and continuity, adaptability and continuous learning, context understanding and long-sequence modeling, multimodal information integration, controlled generation with diversity, and self-supervised learning. These features are analyzed at the technical level and then systematically mapped onto human practices. Building on this foundation, the study examines how these process-oriented features manifest consistently across diverse application domains, including education, creative industries, urban planning, product design, healthcare, and market communication. Across these fields, generative models are shown to reconfigure work, learning, creativity, planning, and interaction from static, outcome-focused practices toward dynamic, iterative, and feedback-driven processes. The cross-domain consistency of these patterns suggests that the emerging process-oriented practices are not isolated applications but reflect a broader paradigm-level transformation.The analysis further demonstrates that as generative models make answers and finalized outputs increasingly reproducible, the relative value of inquiry, exploration, and iterative engagement is amplified. "Questioning" thus emerges as a central mechanism linking technical innovation with changes in human behavior, social coordination, and meaning production. Extending this framework to market communication, the study shows how generative models facilitate a shift from one-way, result-oriented brand messaging to interactive, co-creative brand–consumer relationships, illustrating the broader applicability of the process-oriented paradigm beyond traditional technological domains. Overall, this study proposes that generative models are not merely tools that enhance efficiency but act as structural drivers of a social paradigm shift toward process orientation. By foregrounding continuous engagement, adaptability, and participatory meaning-making, this paradigm offers a potential pathway for addressing the contemporary crisis of meaning associated with result-dominated social systems. The findings highlight the need for intentional strategies to understand and guide the long-term societal implications of generative AI.