Bridging People and Technology: The Influence of AI-Driven HRM Empathy on Workplace Outcomes

Artificial intelligence (AI) integration into human resource management (HRM) in recent years has revolutionized HRM processes, thus affecting employee job behavior and turnover intentions. While much of the existing research has focused on the decision-making capabilities of AI, how and when AI-driven HRM empathy influences employee behavior and performance remains unclear. This study draws on organizational commitment theory to investigate how AI-driven HRM empathy affects employee outcomes, including job and organizational engagement, job satisfaction, employee performance, and turnover intentions. A time-lagged survey design was employed to collect data from 359 employees in China. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships among the constructs. The findings revealed that AI-driven HRM empathy enhances employee engagement, which subsequently improves job satisfaction, enhances job performance, and decreases turnover intentions. This research advances understanding of how employees experience workplace technologies by highlighting the novel role of empathy as a human-like quality that is embedded in AI-enabled HRM systems. The findings suggest that organizations must develop targeted solutions for their AI-driven HRM workplace strategies. This research makes a valuable contribution to the developing knowledge about AI in human resources by demonstrating how AI-driven HRM empathy influences workplace participation and employee retention.