The Individual’s Perception of AI and Its Effects on the Organization’s AI Initiatives

Investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) does not result in returns for business despite improving technology (Ransbotham et al., 2020; Storm & Borgman, 2020). This study investigated one potential reason for the failure of AI when implemented within an organization with the intent to drive success with this technology. AI is unique amongst technologies due to its ability to inspire emotions from potential users and these emotions can affect the individual’s willingness to adopt the technology. The research questions were: 1. Does an individual’s perception of AI have a moderating effect on their behavioral intention to use a product that includes machine learning and/or AI? 2. Does an individual’s experience with AI indicate their perception of AI? Using an explanatory sequential research design, this study examined the relationship between how an individual perceives AI and their willingness to accept the technology in their role within an organization. It also considered the role of experience and an individual’s perception of AI. These findings can be used by organizations to assess readiness for change that includes the implementation of AI. The results found that including AI in the description of the initiative decreased support from 81.5% to 54.8%. There was also a significant relationship between an individual’s perception of AI and their support of an initiative that specifically names AI (p < .05). In interviews, nine out of ten respondents discussed job replacement and showed a tension between hopes and fears with regard to the technology. No statistically significant relationship was found between an individual’s experience with AI and their perception of AI but there was a relationship between experience and their expectations for effort and performance. Interviews showed that an individual’s perception of job replacement or challenges with the technology were not affected or increased with experience using AI. Based on these findings, managers can better determine if their organizations are ready to implement AI successfully. To improve readiness, managers must consider the cost-benefit analysis that an individual will use when considering the technology and tip the equation toward the benefits through increased training, transparency, and communication.