Artificial intelligence advancements have been rolling out at a rapid pace in recent months. We’ve seen Apple’s AI (Apple Intelligence) announcement promising to speed things up and enhance creativity at work and home. Meta’s Imagine Me was rolled out recently, allowing users to adjust their images using AI. And Amazon’s AWS App Builder now allows for app development in minutes with no coding. Each of these developments has the potential to save immeasurable hours of work.
But with that comes worker anxiety as employees become less certain about their future at work.
EY data reveals:
- 71% of employees are concerned about AI at work.
- 41% believe it is evolving too quickly.
- 65% of employees aren’t sure whether they are using AI responsibly.
Workplace Burnout and AI Anxiety
Workplace burnout can arise when workers feel prolonged or overwhelming stress and anxiety relating to AI. We previously defined burnout as: “a type of work-related stress— a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” AI anxiety can add workplace stress while also causing feelings of helplessness about the future, concern about career growth, and hit on loss of personal identity, so we aren’t surprised to see links between burnout or poor mental health and AI anxiety.
What’s The Solution?
We’ll defer to the American Psychological Association for this guidance:
“We know that people want to feel as if their work makes a difference in the lives of others,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr, PhD and CEO at the American Psychological Association. “And employees who feel like their job duties can be replaced by artificial intelligence, or that their employer feels the need to constantly surveil their work, are less likely to feel as if the work they do matters. It is up to employers to make sure that any new technologies they introduce into the workplace enhance rather than diminish that sense of meaning. Employers who pay attention to how technology affects their employees will perform better.”
Employer Checklist to Ease AI Anxiety
- Talk To Your Team About AI Implementation: Employees are harboring concerns about AI making their roles obsolete. As an employer, you can empower employees by talking transparently about how AI will likely be deployed and offering upskilling programs for employees whose positions may be automated. Empowered employees are more productive and engaged than fearful employees.
- Train Your Employees: 80% of employees surveyed by EY indicated that they would feel more comfortable using AI at work if they had received cybersecurity training. Most of those surveyed also craved a better understanding of other legal implications, like intellectual property and hiring discrimination.
- A Culture of Continuous Learning: Employers should work with employees to develop future-ready career paths and skills, including a focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. These skills complement the work that AI can do, which leaves employees more ready to work alongside AI.
- Define AI Ethics: AI has the potential to be used for unethical purposes (just ask anyone who has had a deepfake video made and published). It also has the potential to proliferate biases and cause other harm, and this is fueling employee anxiety. Employers should establish and share guidelines for AI deployment and use to minimize the risk of harm and maximize fairness.
For assistance managing AI-related risks, reach out. Our attorneys are available to help.
Disclaimer
The materials available at this website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this website or any of the e-mail links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between CGL and the user or browser. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the firm or any individual attorney.