AI Use Is Rising, but Experiences Differ
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded in working life, especially in knowledge work and expert tasks. However, increasing use does not automatically mean more positive attitudes. Employees may use AI more while also experiencing caution, uncertainty, and fatigue. The WorkAI project studies this transformation through longitudinal survey data and organizational interviews with Finnish employees. The project focuses on AI use and attitudes, change and adaptation, and employee well-being.
AI, identity, and strain
A key theme of the presentation is that AI does not only change tasks. It can also affect how employees understand their role, competence, and value at work.
WorkAI examines three forms of AI-related identity threat: worth-based, competence-based, and authenticity-based threat. These concern whether employees feel respected, capable, and able to maintain a professional self that aligns with their values.
The presentation also discusses AI-related strain. Longitudinal analyses suggest that when employees experience higher AI stress, they also report higher work exhaustion. This highlights AI strain as a dynamic process shaped by both technology use and the work environment.
Organizations shape sustainable AI use
The findings underline the importance of organizational support. Competence, autonomy, leadership, social support, and meaningful work all matter for whether AI is experienced as a threat or an opportunity. The central message is that the future of work will not be shaped by AI alone, but by how organizations redesign work around AI.
GAISE26 takes place in Tampere on 1–3 June 2026.