Frequency Is Not Enough: The Indirect Role of Perceived GenAI Trustworthiness in Employees' GenAI-Related Work Well-Being

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly used in workplace activities, but usage frequency alone may not explain employees’ work experience. This study examines whether perceived GenAI trustworthiness mediates the relationship between GenAI use frequency and GenAI-related work well-being among Indonesian employees. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 400 GenAI-using employees, data were analyzed with PLS-SEM and 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Frequency of GenAI use was positively associated with perceived GenAI trustworthiness (β = 0.280, p < .001), while trustworthiness was strongly associated with work well-being (β = 0.911, p < .001). The direct association between frequency and well-being was not significant (β = 0.037, p = .061), whereas the indirect effect was significant (β = 0.255, 95% CI [0.181, 0.326]). The findings indicate an indirect-only mediation pattern and highlight the importance of employees’ evaluations of GenAI beyond usage intensity.