The gig economy provides on-demand work opportunities that could be compatible with Just-In-Time (JIT) production principles, centered on responding quickly to market demands. This study examined the existing body of relevant knowledge to delineate how the gig economy’s role in JIT production systems has been addressed in the literature. To achieve the primary objective, this study enhanced systematic literature review methods by incorporating a generative-AI-assisted search-refinement stage, followed by bibliometric analysis and manual validation to ensure relevance, thereby delivering a more comprehensive literature analysis. The literature analysis shows that, while JIT settings have previously used temporary workers, there has been a lack of research on the role of the gig economy in these setups. A significant gap remains in the understanding of how gig-workers platforms can be integrated into JIT production to improve scalability and effectiveness. This article’s contribution is threefold. Methodologically, it advances systematic literature review methods to identify critical literature gaps. Theoretically, it identifies a clear gap and lays the groundwork for exploration of the gig economy’s potential to revolutionize production operations and labor economy concepts. Practically, this study’s proposition of a JIT production system utilizing gig workers has the potential to lead to social and economic sustainability.