EXAMINING THE AI ANXIETY LEVELS OF AVIATION EMPLOYEES BASED ON DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES

The accelerated advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) give rise to anxieties regarding workplace tasks, job security, privacy, and ethics, which significantly impact employees in the technology-intensive aviation sector. The aim of the study was to examine the level of AI anxiety among professionals in the aviation sector and to investigate whether it varies based on factors such as gender, education, age, experience, and sub-sector. A survey methodology was employed. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 345 aviation sector employees. The AI Anxiety Scale, a 5-point Likert-based instrument, was used as the measurement tool. The analysis results indicated that AI anxiety levels among aviation sector employees were moderate (M=2.8047). AI anxiety levels were highest in the sociotechnical/blindness sub-dimension (M=3.3775) and lowest in the AI learning sub-dimension (M=2.1055). No statistically significant differences in anxiety levels were found based on age, experience, or sub-sector, whereas education level showed significant differences. Although general AI anxiety did not significantly vary by gender, a notable difference was observed in AI configuration. As AI evolves in the aviation sector, addressing employee anxieties across sub-dimensions is essential for effective integration. Given the rapid advancements in AI technology, future studies should adopt a more detailed approach, focusing on sector-specific variations and analyzing the unique structures and requirements of each aviation sub-sector.