New report on AI adoption warns workers could face more complex responsibilities for lower pay

• Humans are now being tasked with AI management roles, adding to the pressure
• Because roles are being perceived as 'easier', they're not getting pay rises
• Long-term sustainability is key to negating many of our fears

A new Occupational Medicine journal article has uncovered the potential impacts that AI could have on work, and it could mean that we'll face higher workloads without seeing a correlative pay rise.

By automating routine and administrative tasks, AI has now presented human workers with a new challenge – managing it. The researchers worry this could be adding to stress and pressure, particularly without the correct training.

All of this comes as AI promises to deliver huge productivity boosts, but the reality is that the tech has threatened to create major industrial shifts and even displace (or redefine) entry-level workers.

Is AI making work more stressful?

The report warns that AI can increase workers' responsibilities despite claiming to make work easier, therefore salaries aren't rising. For example, a separate 2024 report citing in the article shows how AI tools can slow work down, causing employees to check and correct AI errors that wouldn't have been there otherwise.

The researchers describe these as "hidden workloads that negate the benefit of automating outsourcing tasks."

Looking ahead, the research calls for more thought to be given to where humans sit "in the [AI] loop." Poor management may also lead to productivity gaps as well as health and unemployment consequences across industries, age groups, and regions.

A previous MIT study found that around one in nine US jobs could be replaced by artificial intelligence. Separate Bank of England and ONS data shows youth unemployment rising across the UK.

With AI transforming historically slow-to-evolve industries more quickly, the report underscores the urgency in "finding routes to sharing learning."

While many fear that AI could replace jobs, this report concludes that greater care should be given to how we handle this transitionary period to ensure that humans continue to play a sustainable role in productivity.

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