The impact of Artificial Intelligence across workplace environments and organisational processes seems unprecedented, as critics question whether the speed with which AI is being adopted across workplaces processes will remain (Allam, 2016; Bhardiya, 2023). Scholars further questions the effects of AI in terms of decimating jobs, de-skilling effects, (Autor et al. 2003; Acemoglu & Restrepo, 2018; Briton & Atkinson, 2017). Despite this, research to date has supported AI’s use in streamlining business and manufacturing processes globally, regionally and locally reducing risk and improving business efficiencies and innovation (Bhardiay, 2023). Indeed, AI is impacting wide-ranging sector (e.g. construction), while large business corporations, such as IBM, Google, Microsoft and Amazon are investing heavily in AI algorithms and platform capacity, as a source of competitiveness across all business functions. Similar trends are observed in the retail and service sector where AI is viewed as a solution around resource constraints and concerns of employee efficiencies (Mattingly et al. 2025). Employees too are arguably benefiting, as AI serves as an ultimate replacement of repetitive, laborious tasks around job roles, arguably creating space for creative problem-solving, in high-skill job areas (Jia et al. 2024). Alternatively, in low pay and low-skill job sectors such as retail or front-line customer-facing roles for instance the exploitative nature of AI applications are apparent (Hunt & Rolf, 2022). Here AI systems serve to help management towards employee surveillance and performance control, while use around business functions such as predictive consumer marketing, and HR functionality further present concerns of ethics and fairness (Hunt & Rolf, 2022). The overwhelming excitement around AI, is thus met with commentators forever raising caution about the unknowns of AI use. Questions remain around whether at the workplace level, AI’s capacity or value is recognised, with further unknowns remaining around the human capabilities needed around the expanding use of AI systems (Bhardiay, 2023; Faishal, et al. 2023). AI is still in its infancy, so it is not surprising that questions remain around AI’s true impact on employment, education, and the ethical concerns it raises around its use around workforce and business and management processes (Bhardiay, 2023:16; Fai).

The student and staff contributions in this latest issue reflect on such concerns and the wider impact on individuals as employees and managers, in a variety of sectors.

References

Acemoglu, D., Restrepo, P. (2018). The Race between man and Machine: Implications of technology for growth, factor, shares and employment, American Economic Review, 108(6), 1488-1542.

Allam, S. (2016). The impact of Artificial Intelligence on Innovation – an Exploratory Analysis, International Journal of creative research thought, 4(4). ISSN: 2320-2882

Autor, D.H., Levy, F., Murname, R.J. (2003). The Skills content of recent technological change: an empirical exploration, The Quarterly Journal of Economic, 118(4), 1279-1333.

Bhardiya, J.P. (2023). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Business processes, European Journal of Technology, 7(2), 15-25.

Faishal, M., Mathew, S., Neikha, K., Pusa, K., Zhimomi, T. (2023). The Future of Work: AI automation, and the changing dynamics of developed economies, World Journal of advanced research and Reviews, 18(3), 620-629.

Hunt, W., Rolf, S. (2022). Artificial Intelligence and automation in Research,

Jia, N., Luo, X., Fang, Z., Liao, C. (2024). When and how artificial intelligence augments employee creativity, Academy of Management Journal, 67(1), 5-32.

Mattingly, E.S., Kroes, J.R., Manikas, A.S. (2025). AI as an emerging trend for managing employee efficiency in the retail and services sector. Business Horizon