New research shows AI in the workplace is a double-edged sword

Artificial intelligence is gaining ground in workplaces across the country. But what does it really mean for employee well-being and performance? According to new research from Aarhus BSS, AI can be both a driver of efficiency and learning and a source of stress and uncertainty.

“Technostress in the workplace can manifest itself in two ways: as a driver of learning and development, or as a hindrance that creates frustration and fatigue,” says Associate Professor Surabhi Verma from the Department of Economics at Aarhus BSS in an article on the Aarhus University website.

She is one of the researchers from the Department of Economics at Aarhus University behind the study, which is based on responses from 299 Indian employees who regularly work with AI and highlights the growing phenomenon of “technostress”.

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The researchers use the challenge-hindrance stressors model, which distinguishes between two types of stress: motivational, where AI is perceived as a source of growth and learning, and inhibitory, where the technology leads to uncertainty and exhaustion. The results show that employees’ reactions to AI are highly dependent on how the technology is introduced and used.

Requires an understanding of the nature of technology

A key conclusion is that AI acts as a double-edged sword. When used responsibly and judiciously, it can increase productivity, empower decision-making and inspire innovation. However, if implemented without considering the needs and skills of employees, it can result in frustration, overload and, at worst, burnout.

“It’s important to examine both motivating and inhibiting stressors if we want to understand how employees experience AI in the workplace,” says another researcher on the project Ana Alina Tudoran and continues

“It allows us to identify what promotes well-being and what wears employees down.”

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The researchers point out that managers play a key role in ensuring that AI becomes a sustainable part of the work environment. This requires both an understanding of the dual nature of the technology and the ability to develop strategies that reduce strain and promote wellbeing.

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