Working With AI Leads To Loneliness, Insomnia And Drinking

Frequent use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems at work can lead to employee loneliness, potentially causing insomnia and increased after-work drinking, according to a cross-cultural study published by the American Psychological Association (APA) and carried by SciTechDaily.

Photo Insert: Studies found that participants with higher levels of attachment anxiety – the tendency to feel insecure and worried about social connections – responded strongly to working on AI systems.

Researchers conducted four experiments in the US, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Findings were consistent across cultures. The research was published on June 12 in the Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP).

Lead researcher Dr. Pok Man Tang previously worked in an investment bank where he used AI systems.

Tang, now an assistant professor of management at the University of Georgia, said advancement in AI systems is sparking a new industrial revolution that is reshaping the workplace with many benefits but also uncharted dangers, including damaging mental and physical impacts for employees.

Studies found that participants with higher levels of attachment anxiety – the tendency to feel insecure and worried about social connections – responded strongly to working on AI systems.

In a study, 166 engineers at a Taiwanese biomedical firm who worked with AI systems were surveyed over three weeks about their feelings of loneliness, attachment anxiety and sense of belonging.

In Indonesia, an experiment with 126 real estate consultants was conducted, with half instructed not to use AI systems for three consecutive days while the other half were told to work with AI systems as much as possible.

The findings were similar to the previous experiment. The same was held in an online experiment with 214 full-time working adults in the US and another with 294 employees at a Malaysian tech company.

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