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The Negative Social Impact of Dealing with AI in the Workplace

The Negative Social Impact of Dealing with AI in the Workplace

Quick Hits
Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

AI is a very hot topic at the moment. It is considered a tool that will be able to do everything and essentially replace human beings in the workplace. Not to mention the existential threat that some see. But at a more pragmatic level just working with AI seems like it can have some unintended consequences. Read on:

So what is negative about dealing with AI? Feeling stupid, maybe?

I suppose it could be, but I think most people see it as a tool to get more of what they want at the moment. This research looked at the psychological impacts of dealing with AI in the workplace in four locations (U.S., Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia).

Ok, I’m intrigued, what did they find?

Tang et al. conducted studies in four countries that explored the impacts of interaction with AI. This included working as often as possible with AI systems for a three-week period and tracking psychological impacts with surveys. In another study half of the cohort wer instructed to avoid working with AI systems for three days and the other half to maximise their work with AI systems. They also included surveys of family members to report on other factors at home.

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Oh wow, I like that idea? But you still haven’t told my what they found…

I’m getting there. The findings across all the studies and groups was consistent, it is important to note, suggesting that this is not cultural. So what did they find? They found that interactions with AI:

  • Increased feelings of loneliness

  • Increased insomnia

  • Increased after-work drinking

But there are some positive effects too…

Oh, that is fascinating – so it seems that interacting with “machines” actually does impact our social system. But why sleep and drinking?

Yes, fascinating. The loneliness could be intuited – after all if you’re interacting less with human beings, or less than usual, loneliness could be a logical consequence. We do know that social interaction is also rewarding and can calm anxiety – so maybe the increased anxiety is causing sleep disruptions and desire for rewards such as in drinking. That is all supposition though.

But there were some positive knock-on effects.

Oh, what were they?

They found that those who interacted a lot with AI were more willing to help others in the workplace!

Oh wow – lack of social interactions make people more helpful?!

Yes, it seems like the lack of social interaction makes people want to be more social and therefore more helpful. What is also interesting is the effect of personal social anxiety on this which was also measured.

And what was that?

Those who were more socially anxious, i.e. more worried or nervous about their social connections, responded stronger. On both sides. So they became more lonely than those who were less social anxious, but they also become more helpful!

That is surprising!

Kind of. Their high anxiety would make them more responsive.

Ok so what does this mean?

The researchers were quick to point out that this is correlational data and doesn’t prove causation, though one study did compare different scenarios. However, it would make sense that lowering interactions with human beings in favour of AI has an impact. Whether this is short- or long-term, or could be naturally compensated by other mechanisms, such as those helping behaviours, remains something for future studies to tease out.

For now we know that there are more than likely consequences, and unintended consequences, of working with AI that are very human.

Well, that makes me happy that I’ve got you to talk to!

Are you sure I’m not an AI programme…

Andy Habermacher

Andy Habermacher

Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

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Reference

Pok Man Tang, Joel Koopman, Ke Michael Mai, David De Cremer, Jack H. Zhang, Philipp Reynders, Chin Tung Stewart Ng, I-Heng Chen.
No person is an island: Unpacking the work and after-work consequences of interacting with artificial intelligence.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 2023
DOI: 10.1037/apl0001103

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New Drivers of Selfishness and Collaboration Discovered

New Drivers of Selfishness and Collaboration Discovered

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Everyday Pleasures Improve Brain Performance

Everyday Pleasures Improve Brain Performance

Quick Hits
Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

 

brain workplace cognitive performance

That sounds a good thing but what is an everyday pleasure?

In this study the researchers investigated the relationship between simple pleasures and brain activity. Specifically drinking coffee, listening to music, and smelling perfume.

Coffee and music for me – not so sure about the perfume though

Participants could choose what they wanted according to their preferences – that’s important – it needs to be a personalised pleasure…of course. I’m with you on coffee and music also – but then again remember my article on the positive impacts of aroma exposure during sleep a few days ago?

How did they measure this?

Well, this is actually very innovative but we also need to be careful of marketing hype here as this was sponsored by MINDWATCH. They have developed algorithms over the years that can measure brain states based on skin conductance. That is your skin responds very quickly to your current state and this can me measured using a sensor. This is much less invasive than measuring brain wave activity. In this experiment they used skin conductance bands and a device to measure some brain activity also.

And so what was the outcome?

Participants conducted memory tests shortly after being exposed to these stimulants and their performance increase and this could be measured in the brain – an increase in beta band brain waves (associated with concentration and cognitive performance) – and skin conductance results. Music seems to be the most potent followed by coffee and then the perfume.

Don’t we know this already?

Actually yes. We know music can positively stimulate brain activity and is also considered a performance enhancing tool by World Athletics (and as such is not allowed directly before competition!). Similarly, there is a lot of research on coffee and its positive benefits. But participants in this could choose their preferred option.

Also of interest is that there were three types of music to choose from and unsurprisingly the energetic was more effective than the relaxing one – but, and here is the surprise, they included an AI generated piece of music and this was the most effective!

And what now?

Well, this shows that those small pleasures can positively impact brain performance – this is why they are a small pleasure – a little bit of what you fancy does you good as they say – and this is not all in the mind. Your brain and cognitive performance will thank you.

And what about all three simultaneously?

That’s what I’m doing as I write this – feels good enough to me!

Andy Habermacher

Andy Habermacher

Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

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References

Hamid Fekri Azgomi, Luciano R. F. Branco, Md. Rafiul Amin, Saman Khazaei, Rose T. Faghih.
Regulation of brain cognitive states through auditory, gustatory, and olfactory stimulation with wearable monitoring.
Scientific Reports, 2023; 13 (1)
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37829-z

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Brain Scans Show How to Coach and Inspire More Effectively

Brain Scans Show How to Coach and Inspire More Effectively

Quick Hits
Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

brain coaching leadership inspire motivation

It’s not often that there is a study that directly connects coaching and brain scanning – unfortunately. Enter Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, USA and their coaching research lab who got 47 undergraduates into a brain scanner after a coaching session and while watching clips of messages to themselves – the results were interesting.

The results are not just important in coaching scenarios but also in an behavioural change situations such as many found in businesses and in education. So what did they find?

The protocol explored the relationship between the real self, the person you are at the moment with all your weaknesses, and the ideal self, the person you would like to be. These are common themes in coaching and a key question is should you focus on what your real self is not doing well or motivate with an idealistic image of yourself in the future, or, as is common, a mix of both?

So which wins out. Well the 47 graduates first had a 30-minute coaching session that focused on the real self and then where put in a brain scanner and while in the scanner were fed (by video) 96 messages that were focused on hope, compassion, mindfulness and playfulness in the ideal self. They then stated whether they agreed or disagreed with the statements.

What the researchers were trying to see is if these two states would conflictwith each other or could operate in tandem – after all in the real world we often have two states in our heads – short-term and long-term planning, for example. To do this they used a visual attention task using Navon Figures that are incongruent or incongruent (for example a letter T made from letter Es). These conflict the visual system where as others such as viewing a landscape do not.

And indeed the researchers saw that there was evidence of conflicting ressource allocation in the brain – this can be seen when the brain uses overlapping areas rather than separate areas. When individuals are stimulated with the real self this can therefore conflict with the ideal self – causing an inherent incongruence and conflict in the brain.

This gives strong biological evidence that focusing and the real self can conflict and therefore limit resources when working towards the ideal self – and therefore cause friction and blocks. This is good evidence that focusing more on the ideal self puts you in a state that is more able to scan the broad environment and identify salient themes.

This in addition to experiencing more positive emotions, being open to new ideas, and having more intrinsic motivation. With the one caveat that different brains may respond differently which I explored in a popular article here: Whose Brains Respond to Carrots and Whose to Sticks?

So the key takeaway is that focusing more on the ideal self enables greater engagement, higher motivation, less friction, a more open perspective, and better feelings. This applies to coaching scenarios but just as much to educational contexts and business where often the focus is on what needs to change – focus on the ideal instead.

Andy Habermacher

Andy Habermacher

Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

twitter / LinkedIn

References

Jack, A. I., et al. (2023)
When fixing problems kills personal development: fMRI reveals conflict between Real and Ideal selves.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1128209.

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