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People who work with AI are more often lonely, suffer from insomnia and drink after work, research shows
- AI is widely used in the marketing, finance and manufacturing industries
- Employees who work with AI are more often lonely and drink after work
Workers who work with artificial intelligence (AI) are more likely to be lonely, suffer from insomnia and drink when the day is over, a study shows.
Researchers have found that working with AI – widely used in the marketing, finance and manufacturing industries – can have “damaging” effects on employees’ personal lives.
The team, led by researchers from the University of Georgia, conducted four experiments in the US, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia.
In one study, 166 engineers from a Taiwanese biomedical company who worked with AI systems were surveyed for three weeks about their feelings of loneliness, attachment anxiety and a sense of belonging.
Colleagues rated individual participants on their helpful behavior, and family members reported on insomnia and alcohol consumption after work.
Workers who work with artificial intelligence (AI) are more likely to be lonely, suffer from insomnia and drink after the day is over, study shows (stock image)
Analysis found that employees who interacted more frequently with AI systems were more likely to experience loneliness, insomnia and more alcohol consumption after work.
But they also found that these workers were more likely to offer to help their colleagues — a response that may be triggered by a need for social contact, the team said.
Other experiments in the US, Indonesia and Malaysia involving property managers and a technology company produced similar results.
Lead researcher Pok Man Tang used to work at an investment bank where he used AI systems, which he says led to his interest in researching the problem.
“The rapid advances in AI systems are driving another industrial revolution that is reshaping the workplace with many benefits, but also some unknown dangers, including potentially harmful mental and physical consequences for workers,” he said.
“Humans are social animals, and isolating work with AI systems can have detrimental spillover effects on employees’ personal lives.”
Analysis found that employees who interacted with AI systems more often were more likely to experience loneliness, insomnia and more alcohol consumption after work (stock image)
Mr Tang said that AI technology developers should consider equipping their systems with features such as a human voice to mimic human-like interactions in the future.
Employers could also limit the amount of time employees spend working with AI systems and give them opportunities to socialize, he suggested.
“Mindfulness programs and other positive interventions can also help reduce loneliness,” he added.
“AI will continue to expand, so we must act now to reduce the potentially harmful effects for people working with these systems.”
The findings have been published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.