Balancing the double-edged sword of artificial Intelligence: Job demands, resources, and Work–Life balance

Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) framework, this study develops and tests a model in which employee-AI collaboration and AI awareness jointly influence work engagement and work–life balance (WLB). Using survey data from 280 professionals working in AI-enabled workplaces, we examine mediation and moderation effects through PLS-SEM and identify key conditions necessary for specific outcomes using Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). The results show that Employee–AI collaboration positively predicts both work engagement and WLB, with work engagement partially mediating this relationship. AI awareness is negatively related to engagement, yet it positively moderates the AI collaboration–engagement link, indicating that collaboration can transform perceived technological threat into a motivational trigger. These findings advance JD–R theory by demonstrating how digital demands may shift from hindrance to challenge under resource-rich conditions and by positioning AI as a double-edged element of work design. The study contributes to research on digital transformation by clarifying the mechanisms through which human–AI interaction influences employee well-being beyond performance outcomes.