Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Among Employees: The Moderating Role of Resistance to Change in the Effect of AI Anxiety on Innovative Behavior

Artificial intelligence (AI), which offers significant opportunities today, has fundamentally impacted numerous elements, from the way businesses operate to the employee profile. While AI contributes to growth through its efficiency, speed, and cost advantages, these developments also create anxiety, unease, and worry in many employees. On the other hand, individuals with high levels of innovative behavior are expected to perceive AI as an opportunity rather than a threat and experience less anxiety. However, the level of psychological resistance employees develop against technological transformation in organizations influences this relationship. This research aims to analyze how anxiety about AI affects innovative behavior and to examine the moderating effect of resistance to change within this dynamic. It focuses on employees in financial services, technology, manufacturing, and service sector organizations operating in Istanbul. No previous research has been found in the literature that addresses these three concepts together. The study used demographic information from 281 participants and data obtained through a survey consisting of three different scales. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, validity, normality assessment, Pearson correlation analysis, and regression analysis were applied to analyze the data. The study results revealed that AI anxiety had a significantly negative effect on employees' innovative behavior (β = -0.54, p < 0.001), resistance to change served as a moderator in the relationship between AI anxiety and innovative behavior (β = -0.09, p = 0.121), and financial services and technology sectors exhibited higher AI anxiety (M = 3.45, M = 3.38) than manufacturing (M = 2.98) and service (M = 3.12) sectors.