IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aes/amfeco/v26y2024i67p762.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

AI between Threat and Benefactor for the Competences of the Human Working Force

Author

Listed:
  • Olimpia Ban

    (University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania)

  • Irina Maiorescu

    (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania)

  • Mihaela Bucur

    (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania)

  • Gabriel Cristian Sabou

    (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania)

  • Betty Cohen Tzedec

    (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania)

Abstract

The fast pace of the inclusion of AI in almost all sectors of human activity, with more and more accurate and effective results, transforms society at all levels. Changes have already been noticed in the structure of jobs offers for human tasks, since AI provides skills that can successfully replace human competencies in certain areas of activity. Hence, our paper aimed to investigate whether AI is perceived as a threat or a benefactor for the competencies of the human workforce. The analysis of the relevant scientific literature was followed by a quantitative investigation on 512 adult persons of all ages, sex, and having various work experiences. Research results indicate that job losses, dehumanisation of the work, as well as lower intellectual capacity and skills for humans that are no longer used to solve problems and work tasks on their own, are the main threats brought by AI. At the same time, there are perceived AI benefits, such as rapidity in solving some work tasks and reducing the physical and mental strain of employees. In general, it can be said that younger generations, who also have less work experience, are more open to using the AI competencies to solve their work tasks.

Suggested Citation

  • Olimpia Ban & Irina Maiorescu & Mihaela Bucur & Gabriel Cristian Sabou & Betty Cohen Tzedec, 2024. "AI between Threat and Benefactor for the Competences of the Human Working Force," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 26(67), pages 762-762, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aes:amfeco:v:26:y:2024:i:67:p:762
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.amfiteatrueconomic.ro/temp/Article_3335.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Siliang Tong & Nan Jia & Xueming Luo & Zheng Fang, 2021. "The Janus face of artificial intelligence feedback: Deployment versus disclosure effects on employee performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(9), pages 1600-1631, September.
    2. Lukas Lanz & Roman Briker & Fabiola H. Gerpott, 2024. "Employees Adhere More to Unethical Instructions from Human Than AI Supervisors: Complementing Experimental Evidence with Machine Learning," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(3), pages 625-646, January.
    3. Yang, Chih-Hai, 2022. "How Artificial Intelligence Technology Affects Productivity and Employment: Firm-level Evidence from Taiwan," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(6).
    4. Dorotic, Matilda & Stagno, Emanuela & Warlop, Luk, 2024. "AI on the street: Context-dependent responses to artificial intelligence," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 113-137.
    5. Huang, Yingying & Gursoy, Dogan, 2024. "How does AI technology integration affect employees’ proactive service behaviors? A transactional theory of stress perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    6. Zirar, Araz & Ali, Syed Imran & Islam, Nazrul, 2023. "Worker and workplace Artificial Intelligence (AI) coexistence: Emerging themes and research agenda," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    7. Chiu, Yi-Te & Zhu, Yu-Qian & Corbett, Jacqueline, 2021. "In the hearts and minds of employees: A model of pre-adoptive appraisal toward artificial intelligence in organizations," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    8. Milad Mirbabaie & Felix Brünker & Nicholas R. J. Möllmann Frick & Stefan Stieglitz, 2022. "The rise of artificial intelligence – understanding the AI identity threat at the workplace," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(1), pages 73-99, March.
    9. Stephanie Kelley, 2022. "Employee Perceptions of the Effective Adoption of AI Principles," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(4), pages 871-893, July.
    10. Mónica Segovia-Perez & Brana Jianu & Iis Tussyadiah, 2023. "Assessing Turnover Intentions of Algorithmically Managed Hospitality Workers," Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, in: Berta Ferrer-Rosell & David Massimo & Katerina Berezina (ed.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2023, pages 349-354, Springer.
    11. Sarah Bankins & Paul Formosa, 2023. "The Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) For Meaningful Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(4), pages 725-740, July.
    12. Brougham, David & Haar, Jarrod, 2018. "Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Algorithms (STARA): Employees’ perceptions of our future workplace," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(2), pages 239-257, March.
    13. Dewie Tri Wijayati & Zainur Rahman & A’rasy Fahrullah & Muhammad Fajar Wahyudi Rahman & Ika Diyah Candra Arifah & Achmad Kautsar, 2022. "A study of artificial intelligence on employee performance and work engagement: the moderating role of change leadership," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 43(2), pages 486-512, January.
    14. Sowa, Konrad & Przegalinska, Aleksandra & Ciechanowski, Leon, 2021. "Cobots in knowledge work," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 135-142.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Yunjian & Song, Yixiao & Sun, Yanming & Zeng, Mingzhuo, 2024. "When do employees learn from artificial intelligence? The moderating effects of perceived enjoyment and task-related complexity," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Zhou, Shuai & Yi, Ni & Rasiah, Rajah & Zhao, Haipeng & Mo, Zile, 2024. "An empirical study on the dark side of service employees’ AI awareness: Behavioral responses, emotional mechanisms, and mitigating factors," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Prentice, Catherine & Wong, IpKin Anthony & Lin, Zhiwei (CJ), 2023. "Artificial intelligence as a boundary-crossing object for employee engagement and performance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    4. Constanta-Nicoleta Bodea & Mario Paparic & Radu Ioan Mogos & Maria-Iuliana Dascalu, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence Adoption in the Workplace and Its Impact on the Upskilling and Reskilling Strategies," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 26(65), pages 126-126, February.
    5. Jing Wang & Zeyu Xing & Rui Zhang, 2023. "AI technology application and employee responsibility," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Azam Malik, 2024. "A Study on the Relationship of Artificial Intelligence Applications in HR Processes for Assessing Employee Engagement, Performance, and Job Security," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 14(5), pages 216-221, September.
    7. Samuel Ogbeibu & Jude Emelifeonwu & Vijay Pereira & Raphael Oseghale & James Gaskin & Uthayasankar Sivarajah & Angappa Gunasekaran, 2024. "Demystifying the roles of organisational smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and algorithms capability: A strategy for green human resource management and environmental sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 369-388, February.
    8. Samuel Ogbeibu & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & James Gaskin & Abdelhak Senadjki & Mathew Hughes, 2021. "Leveraging STARA competencies and green creativity to boost green organisational innovative evidence: A praxis for sustainable development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2421-2440, July.
    9. Nan Zhu & Yuxin Liu & Jianwei Zhang & Na Wang, 2023. "Contingent reward versus punishment and compliance behavior: the mediating role of affective attitude and the moderating role of operational capabilities of artificial intelligence," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Manav Raj & Justin Berg & Rob Seamans, 2023. "Art-ificial Intelligence: The Effect of AI Disclosure on Evaluations of Creative Content," Papers 2303.06217, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2024.
    11. Ayesha Amjad & Piotr Kordel & Gabriela Fernandes, 2023. "A Review on Innovation in Healthcare Sector (Telehealth) through Artificial Intelligence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-24, April.
    12. Lee, Chi-Chuan & Fang, Yuzhu & Quan, Shiyun & Li, Xinghao, 2024. "Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence toward the energy transition: The key role of the digital economy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    13. Hermann, Erik & Puntoni, Stefano, 2024. "Artificial intelligence and consumer behavior: From predictive to generative AI," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    14. Lingmont, Derek N.J. & Alexiou, Andreas, 2020. "The contingent effect of job automating technology awareness on perceived job insecurity: Exploring the moderating role of organizational culture," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    15. Ivy Munoko & Helen L. Brown-Liburd & Miklos Vasarhelyi, 2020. "The Ethical Implications of Using Artificial Intelligence in Auditing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(2), pages 209-234, November.
    16. Mauro Caselli & Andrea Fracasso & Arianna Marcolin & Sergio Scicchitano, 2023. "The reassuring effect of firms' technological innovations on workers' job insecurity," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 45(4), pages 754-778, October.
    17. Julie Linthorst & André de Waal, 2020. "Megatrends and Disruptors and Their Postulated Impact on Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-25, October.
    18. Wang, Sai & Wen, Wen & Niu, Yuhao & Li, Xin, 2024. "Digital transformation and corporate labor investment efficiency," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    19. Peter Mantello & Manh-Tung Ho & Minh-Hoang Nguyen & Quan-Hoang Vuong, 2023. "Machines that feel: behavioral determinants of attitude towards affect recognition technology—upgrading technology acceptance theory with the mindsponge model," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Tarikul Islam & Erhua Zhou, 2024. "Unpacking the Reasons Shaping Employee Acceptance and Attitudes towards AI Assistant Services in the Hotel Industry: A Behavioral Reasoning Perspective," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 14(5), pages 1-7.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    AI threats; AI benefits; competencies; human workforce; workplace.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aes:amfeco:v:26:y:2024:i:67:p:762. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Valentin Dumitru (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aseeero.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.