AI boosts IT worker engagement but creates new stress, study finds
A Swedish study of 28 IT professionals reveals AI adoption cuts repetitive work and increases job satisfaction—but also triggers cognitive overload and uncertainty about skill relevance. The finding suggests companies need new strategies to manage technology's dual impact on employee wellbeing and productivity.
Originaltitel: AI and work engagement in the IT industry
<p>Despite the rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in professional environments, its implications for employee engagement are not yet well understood. Hence, this study examines how AI technologies impact employee engagement in the IT sector. The study consisted of 28 semi-structured interviews with IT professionals, recruited in Sweden. The responses were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using the job demands-resource framework. The findings reveal that AI can enhance work engagement by reducing repetitive tasks, supporting learning, and increasing the meaningfulness of work. However, AI also introduces new demands, including cognitive overload, skill relevance uncertainty, and concerns about tool reliability and leadership support. Theoretically, the findings highlight the need to adapt the Job Demands Resources model to account for the dynamic, context-dependent nature of digital technologies, such as AI. This suggests the emergence of a concept we term Digital Work Engagement, a positive and fulfilling user experience of vigor, dedication, and absorption based on the worker’s interactions with and relation to technology in the workplace. Practically, the study offers guidance for designers and managers on fostering work engagement by aligning AI development and integration with professional growth, autonomy, and support.</p>