Is the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) the newest mental health concern for the American workforce? Results from a recent survey conducted by Ernst & Young suggest so. Their data unveiled that 71% of the workforce is concerned that AI will negatively impact their job security, with 41% believing it is evolving too quickly.
Whether or not the concern is founded is ultimately beside the point. Employees are feeling a certain way about it, and like with other workplace issues that need to be addressed to mitigate compromised mental health, companies are called upon to take proactive steps regarding AI anxiety. Research consistently shows that chronic anxiety can lead to lower job satisfaction and reduced performance.
While questions regarding ethics of AI from a human resource perspective are beyond the scope of what we discuss here at Kindbridge, we are authorities in corporate mental health. As such, we have a responsibility to weigh in on this perceived new threat. If your organization plans to introduce (or ramp up) the use of artificial intelligence to increase productivity, consider the following to ease employee anxiety.
5 Ways Corporations Can Ease Employee Anxiety About Artificial Intelligence
Be Mindful of Top-Down Anxiety
Artificial intelligence is expected to enter all levels of the organizational hierarchy, inferring that upper management duties may also be made redundant. It’s important for executives who feel anxiety themselves about AI, to not let it spread horizontally nor downwards. Harvard Business Review conducted studies on how workplace leader anxiety can spread to colleagues and team members:
“It’s because you’re experiencing state anxiety — a transitory emotional state that often involves intense feelings of nervousness or apprehension. You may think that you’re the only one suffering, but unfortunately, anxiety can rub off on the people surrounding you and negatively impact their work performance and wellbeing. In this case, that’s your team. If you keep it up, you may end up setting everyone up to fail.” (HBR)
As a company leader, you and other executives must be more mindful of internal feelings and emotions, and how they can manifest through verbal and digital communications (more on this below), body language, and actions.
Commit to Open Communication
Maintaining an open dialogue with staff is critical to alleviating stress and anxiety, even if the news isn’t always good. In fact, organizational communication is particularly important during times of uncertainty and turmoil. It’s the not knowing that can elevate anxiety most. Studies conducted during the global health crisis of 2020 found that daily communications with staff were related to higher levels of satisfaction, and in turn with lower levels of anxiety.
Keep staff in the loop with every new development in AI’s integration into company operations. It shows them that the organization respects their feelings and concerns, and is not hiding anything from them.
Empowerment Through AI Training
When the automated self-checkout concept first arrived in grocery stores across the United States, collective cries could be heard from the more than 2.8 million people under the industry’s employ. Fast forward to today, and the collective consensus is that the self-checkout as a replacement for cashiers is essentially a failed experiment. Grocers and large retailers are finding that the hybrid approach works best, by training staff to work with new technology as opposed to against it. While experts cannot predict what will happen with ubiquitous use of AI, history has taught America that technology works best when integrated with human ethics and nuanced capabilities that machines are not able to replicate.
In other words, employees need to be trained in how to leverage AI to make their jobs more productive and even enjoyable. It’s not rally about the actual training that matters in alleviating anxiety, but the demonstration of commitment to staff development. Surveys administered by Forbes found that 80% of employees say they would view an organization more positively if it offered AI responsibility training. Create training programs (today!) that show them how AI will be used to serve the company and them. They will feel more empowered and generally less anxious and stressed.
Demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility
The same Forbes study referenced above found that 77% of employees would view an organization more positively if it created an ethical task force regarding AI’s use in the company.
An AI ethics task force may be considered to be a part of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In addition to demonstrating sensitivity to towards employee concerns (and mitigating anxiety) any effort to enhance CSR can mitigate employee turnover while concurrently attracting talent. Research shows that organizations with robust CSR programs experience greater levels of employee engagement and subsequently, higher retention rates. Nearly 60% of employees today say they hold their employer to a higher standard than other organizations when they take on greater social accountability, while job-seekers also prefer to work at companies that value CSR.
Investment in Employee Mental Health Services
The most important step your company can take to manage employee state and trait anxiety, whether it is in regards to AI or the number of other organizational occurrences, is to invest in mental health support services.
This integration will be invaluable for people at all levels of the organization. For instance, in some cases, fear about AI may be completely irrational, having little or nothing to do with their existing duties. Employees who exhibit moderate to severe levels anxiety regardless of fears being unfounded may have deeper underlying concerns. Their anxiety may cooccur with mental/behavioral disorders that contribute to emotional and physical responses to AI’s arrival. Having access to professional counselors can help them get to the bottom of what’s going on and alleviate anxiety accordingly. Even those who feel mildly stressed about AI (or anything else) can find peace of mind in having someone to talk to.
If your company plans to increase investment in artificial intelligence, be sure to concurrently invest in the mental health of your human resources. Reach out to Kindbridge today to discuss corporate strategies.
Invest in Employee Mental Health
CALL +1 (877) 426-4258
OR