The search for healthy conditions in the workplace is an increasingly widespread trend, especially after the pandemic. Companies have understood that the well-being of the workforce not only affects profitability; it also improves employee engagement, performance, and retention.
New technological advances, which have relieved the physical and mental burden on a wide range of tasks, are radically transforming the way we work and our workspaces. Because of this, it is increasingly important to take into account the risks resulting from stress and physical inactivity, increasingly frequent phenomena in the office.
To all this, today we add the great changes derived from the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in many fields of work. These new technologies, which have the capacity to affect employment opportunities by transforming the role that people play in the world of work, will surely have an impact on the health, safety and general well-being of workers, even if we do not yet fully understand their effects.
It is well known that AI can automate tasks in a variety of different jobs. It may also help employees complete physically or mentally heavy and repetitive tasks, freeing up their time for high value-added activities and contributing to improved job performance and increased productivity. Furthermore, it could lead to a new conception of work environments due to the redistribution and reorganization of tasks between workers and machines. AI adoption may also require people to work alongside smart systems creating new dynamics and greater collaboration between technology and people.
Given the scope that the adoption of AI in the workplace can have, it is reasonable to assume it has a high potential to alter people’s well-being conditions. The new challenges posed by the decline in job opportunities, the need to acquire specialized skills to avoid becoming obsolete, and exposure to yet unknown physical and psychosocial risks will force companies to take a new approach regarding the health, safety and well-being of workers.
Risks Associated with These Technologies
Today it is relatively easy to automate a large number of tasks that are difficult for human capacity: memorizing information, accurately evaluating risk factors, performing repetitive tasks without errors, handling statistical data, finding patterns, etc. However, as AI becomes increasingly integrated into work life, companies must understand not only its benefits, but also the contingencies related to workforce well-being:
→ Job displacement and automation. The introduction of AI at work can generate insecurity, anxiety and stress among employees, especially if they perceive that the technology can displace them from certain tasks, make them lose autonomy or require them to acquire extra skills to work effectively with new tools or work processes.
Disrupting the traditional balance of control between people and technology, with humans in control, can create a more stressful and dehumanizing environment that will negatively impact the health and well-being of workers.
→Technology fatigue and stress. The constant use of technologies with digital interfaces can contribute to technological fatigue, which manifests as visual, mental and emotional fatigue along with mental and cognitive exhaustion. This prolonged exposure to technological stimuli can hinder the ability to structure and assimilate the amount of information received.
→ Impact on human interaction. Overreliance on AI-driven technology, such as chatbots or virtual assistants, may affect the quality of human interaction within the work environment, with consequences for collaboration and organizational culture.
→ Mental health risks. Some people can develop illusions of social relationship with advanced AI-powered chatbots, especially those designed to convincingly simulate human conversation. This may lead to emotional attachments or unrealistic expectations, which could affect emotional well-being. If this interaction replaces real human connections, it could contribute to social isolation and have negative effects on mental health.
→ Ethical and privacy concerns. Using AI algorithms to make decisions in the workplace can raise ethical and privacy concerns, especially if transparency and data protection issues are not adequately addressed. To mitigate these risks, it is essential that organizations and technology developers are transparent about the nature of AI systems.
AI Solutions to Improve Well-Being
Technological advances have two sides. On the one hand, as we have seen, AI-powered technologies have their risks—especially if they are poorly designed or implemented—but, on the other, they are clearly part of the solution.
One of the advantages of AI and machine learning-based technologies to improve employee well-being is their ability to analyze large amounts of data and provide personalized recommendations. Using algorithms and predictive models, AI can take into account information about each employee’s health, preferences and behaviors. This way, it is possible to create customized well-being programs. These can range from exercise and healthy eating routines to powerful tools and valuable resources to help manage stress, anxiety and a positive work-life balance. But above all, they have the potential to allow workers to feel more engaged, satisfied and happy in their workplace. Some of the possibilities include:
→ Monitoring biometric data in real time. Some AI-powered apps can track workers’ stress levels by analyzing data from wearables. Smart watches or activity bracelets that use machine learning algorithms to monitor things like physical activity or sleep quality provide a variety of health-related parameters. With this information, these apps can provide customized recommendations on stress-reduction techniques and even predict the risk of burnout.
The company Kintsugi, for example, offers technology that harnesses the power of AI and vocal biomarkers to identify signs of depression and anxiety in users’ speech, while also providing advice on the type of support needed.
→ Mental health chatbots. AI-based chatbots can provide support 24-hours a day for people experiencing mental health issues, burnout or stress. These tools interact confidentially with employees to discuss their concerns and provide advice and information on mental health resources available within the organization; they can also suggest self-help strategies. The immediate assistance and availability offered by these chatbots helps mitigate the stigma associated with mental health issues and promote early professional intervention if necessary.
→ Virtual assistants for well-being. Certain AI-powered virtual assistants are designed to provide support in connection with people’s well-being by offering information on healthy habits, reminders to take breaks, and suggestions to improve quality of life at work. They also help optimize the work load and schedule management by offering recommendations on task prioritization and time management. This way, employees use their workday more efficiently and achieve a healthier work-life balance.
→ Physical activity monitoring. Physical activity plays a very important role in promoting and maintaining physical and mental well-being. There is evidence to suggest that exercising is associated with increased productivity and skill in creative tasks. In order to stay in shape, there are wearable devices, applications and platforms that integrate data on physical activity, heart rate, O2 saturation and more to provide personalized reports and recommendations throughout the day.
In conclusion, it is important to keep in mind that the use of these types of tools poses ethical and privacy issues. It is essential to ensure that data security standards are met and that clear options are provided for employees to voluntarily participate in these programs.
