The Effect of Artificial Intelligence–Induced Stress on Employees’ Individual Creativity: Examining the Roles of Stress-Coping Strategies and Management Commitment

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of artificial intelligence–induced stress on employees’ individual creativity, considering the mediating role of stress-coping strategies and the moderating role of management commitment. Methods and Materials: In terms of purpose, this was an applied study, and methodologically, it employed a descriptive survey design. The statistical population comprised all permanent employees of the Yazd City Gas Company between September 2025 and March 2026. Based on Cochran’s formula, 125 employees were selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using the standardized questionnaire developed by Tong et al. (2025), which assessed artificial intelligence–induced stress, stress-coping strategies, individual creativity, and management commitment. The validity of the instrument was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis, average variance extracted, and the Fornell–Larcker criterion, while its reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and structural equation modeling in SmartPLS version 4. Findings: The results indicated that artificial intelligence–induced stress had a direct and significant effect on stress-coping strategies, which, in turn, significantly enhanced employees’ individual creativity. The indirect effect of artificial intelligence–induced stress on individual creativity through the mediating variable of stress-coping strategies was also confirmed. However, the direct effect of artificial intelligence–induced stress on individual creativity was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the moderating role of management commitment in the relationship between artificial intelligence–induced stress and stress-coping strategies was not confirmed. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that artificial intelligence–induced stress does not necessarily lead directly to a reduction in employee creativity; rather, the manner in which employees manage and cope with this stress determines its creative outcomes. The use of adaptive coping strategies can transform technology-related pressures into opportunities for learning, intrinsic motivation, and creative ideation.