Me, myself, & AI

I’m feeling a little stressed out, wby?

I’ll be honest, the velocity of AI adoption and changing expectations in the workplace feel like a fast track to burnout. 

But is it really?

Answer: kinda-sorta…but not as directly as I thought.

A 2024 study. “The mental health implications of artificial intelligence adoption: the crucial role of self-efficacy” concluded that there’s no direct association between AI adoption and burnout — but there is an indirect one.

Here’s why:

→ AI adoption creates new problems for workers (i.e. need to learn new tech, unsure about responsibilities, increased workload) that can increase job stress. 

→ Increased job stress due to all the stuff that comes along with AI adoption at work can turn into prolonged exposure to a stressful work environment. 

And that’s what actually increases likelihood of burnout.

Ay, there’s the rub! 

It’s not necessarily AI adoption at work that’s causing burnout, but all of the other *waves hands around wildly* stuff associated with it that can lead to burnout symptoms in workers. 

In short: Adopting AI → new demands at work → increased job stress → higher likelihood of burnout.

One question I keep coming back to

How do companies and managers plan to support their employees' mental health through this transition?

(That’s assuming that they’ll even want to. I’m giving everyone the benefit of the doubt here!)

I can’t get this question off my mind, to be honest.

Because I do think companies have a responsibility to think about the effects of AI adoption on employee wellbeing — long- and short-term.

Interestingly, the same study above also found that people with higher levels of self-efficacy in AI learning are less likely to feel this increase in job stress. 

So basically, when people are confident in their ability to learn AI tools, they’re less likely to feel stressed out about those other factors around AI adoption at work. 

This is an opportunity for companies to step up for their employees by:

• Training employees around AI implementation to build self-confidence

• Acknowledging and address concerns around using AI at work

• Giving employees a seat at the table to shape how AI is adopted

• Providing ongoing professional development opportunities that support a growth mindset

• Identifying how AI can be used alongside employees, instead of as a way to replace them

• Regularly evaluating how AI implementation affects organizational outcomes and employee well-being, and make adjustments 

And I, for one, hope directors, managers, and C-level executives step up to the plate for their employees. 

AI on my mind

Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), there are significant gaps in scientific literature about how AI adoption affects employee mental health – though there have been quite a few about the impact of AI on organizations. 

But the intersection of AI, mental health, and work has really been on my mind lately – how about you?