Generative AI and employee well-being: Exploring the emotional, social, and cognitive impacts of adoption

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly recognized as a transformative technology that is reshaping organizational processes, individual work practices, and workplace interactions. While its benefits for efficiency and productivity are widely acknowledged, its impact on employee well-being remains largely underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between GenAI adoption and three dimensions of employee well-being: emotional, social, and cognitive. Drawing on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and social cognitive theory, we propose a conceptual framework in which the GenAI intensity of adoption mediates the relationship between employees’ attitudes toward the technology and their well-being. By analyzing survey data from approximately 130 knowledge workers and analyzing it through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), our findings reveal that a positive attitude toward GenAI significantly enhances its adoption, whereas a negative attitude does not necessarily prevent usage. Furthermore, the extent of GenAI adoption influences all three dimensions of well-being, with team cohesion acting as a mediating factor. These results contribute to the literature on workplace well-being and technology adoption by offering theoretical and managerial insights into the complex relationship between AI integration and employee experience.