Artificial intelligence at work: Balancing opportunity and fear in shaping employee well-being in the IT sector

BackgroundThis study investigates the complex relationship between perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) opportunities and well-being, exploring the underlying psychological processes. Using conservation of resources theory, we examine how employees who view AI as an opportunity report better workplace well-being and show greater adaptive thinking capacity. Conversely, perceptions of unemployment risk appear to be linked to challenges in cognitive reappraisal, which, in turn, correlate with diminished well-being.ObjectiveTo assess the relationships among these constructs, including the specific relationship between employment insecurity and well-being, to understand how AI is experienced as both a valuable tool and a source of stress.MethodsThis research, conducted among 201 professionals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, uses convenience sampling and structural equation modeling (analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS) to assess relationships among these constructs, including the relationship between employment insecurity and well-being.ResultsThe findings suggest that optimism and hope about AI may support psychological resilience, whereas concerns about displacement are negatively correlated with employee well-being.ConclusionUltimately, while grounded in a specific context, this study offers wider implications, showing how AI is experienced as both a valuable tool and a source of stress, depending largely on an individual's assessment of the related risks in their professional environment.