With the increasing use of artificial intelligence systems, health problems are also increasing at the same time.
A study published by the American Psychological Association found that employees who frequently engage with artificial intelligence systems are more likely to suffer from loneliness, which can lead to insomnia and increased alcohol consumption after work.
The researchers conducted four experiments in the United States, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia. Results were consistent across cultures. This study was published online in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
Principal Investigator Dr. Pok Man Tan had previously worked at an investment bank, where he used AI systems, which sparked his interest in researching timely issues. ” Rapid advances in AI systems are sparking a new industrial revolution. While there are many benefits to restructuring the workplace, there are also some unknown dangers, including adverse mental and physical consequences for employees,” said Tan, assistant professor of business administration at the University of Georgia.
“Humans are social animals, and using AI systems to isolate work can have a negative impact on employees’ personal lives.” At the same time, working with AI systems has several advantages. There may be The researchers found that employees who frequently used AI systems were more likely to offer help to their colleagues, but that response may have been driven by feelings of loneliness and need for social contact. bottom.
In addition, the study found that participants with high levels of attachment anxiety (a tendency to feel insecure and worried about social connections) responded positively to working with AI systems, such as helping others, and Both negative responses, such as loneliness, were found to react more strongly. and insomnia.
In one experiment, 166 engineers at a biomedical company in Taiwan working on AI systems were surveyed over three weeks about loneliness, attachment insecurity, and belonging. Colleagues rated individual participants for beneficial behavior, and family members reported participants’ insomnia and post-work alcohol consumption. Employees who interacted more frequently with AI systems were more likely to experience loneliness, insomnia, and increased alcohol consumption after work, but also exhibited some helping behaviors toward fellow employees. I was.
In another experiment of 126 real estate consultants from a property management company in Indonesia, half were told not to use the AI system for three consecutive days, while the other half were told to use the AI system as much as possible. was done. Results for the latter group were similar to the previous experiment, except that there was no association between the frequency of AI use and post-work alcohol consumption.
Similar results were obtained from an online study of 214 full-time adults in the United States and an online study of 294 employees of a Malaysian technology company. The findings are correlated and do not prove that working with AI systems causes loneliness or other reactions. Tan said that in the future, AI technology developers should consider equipping AI systems with social features such as human voice to emulate human-like interactions. Employers can also limit the frequency of work with AI systems and provide social opportunities for employees. Team decision-making and other tasks where social connections are important can be done by humans, while AI systems can focus more on monotonous and repetitive tasks, Tang said. increase. “Mindfulness programs and other positive interventions can also help reduce feelings of loneliness,” Tan said.
“As AI continues to expand, we need to act now to mitigate the potential negative impacts on those who use these systems.”
