Technostress and the AI workplace tsunami

Oct 14, 2024 | AI and technology, Mental health and well-being, Stress and resilience, Thought leadership

By Elizabeth Florent

« Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. »
[The more things change, the more they stay the same.]
Alphonse Karr

The digital revolution engulfed us all in the mid-1990s. The advantages seemed obvious, but many people struggled to learn how to integrate information and communication technologies into their daily work. Defined as “a modern disease of adaptation caused by an inability to cope with the new computer technologies in a healthy manner”, the concept of Technostress was first introduced by American psychotherapist Craig Brod in 1984 to explore the negative feelings when confronted with technology-mediated ways of working.

Fast forward to 2024: Generative AI such as ChatGPT is everywhere, and we are again immersed in a tsunami. As AI capabilities expand, employees are being inundated with new systems, processes, roles, responsibilities and ways of working. For many, this technological disruption is causing uncertainty and anxiety.

The technostress lens can be used to bring a different perspective to the discussion. In line with World Mental Health Day, KDVI Associate Elizabeth Florent explores not the pros and cons of AI but the question: What are the underlying causes of stress related to human interface with technology? What are implications for mental health and organisational performance? And how do we begin to assess its impact on us?  

The underlying cause of Technostress

When the announcement is made that generative AI or the latest version of ChatGPT will be rolled out in the organisation like, tomorrow (or even worse, it happened last week), responses vary. One study reported that 42% of UK office employees are excited about using AI; 27% are concerned; and 31% are on the fence. In other words, well over half the working population is just not into it.

At KDVI, we see symptoms of resistance as the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface, there is evidence of unconscious dynamics that not only fuel resistance, but also cause pain within individuals and the organisational system.

What is the source of these resistances? Ragu-Nathan et al, 2008 identified five ways technology can increase stress:

  1. techno-overload (situations with higher workload generated by AI)
  2. techno-invasion (the invasive impact of AI on daily life)
  3. techno-complexity (difficulty in learning to use AI)
  4. techno-insecurity (situations in which jobs are threatened due to AI)
  5. techno-uncertainty (speed of new AI developments).

Technostress is also subjective, related to an individual’s perception that they do not have the internal resources to cope with a new threat.

Impact of technostress

So, what are the implications of unaddressed Technostress? On the human side, unresolved technostress can lead to psychological disorders such as anxiety, mental fatigue, depression, and sleeping problems, and physical symptoms, such as gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure, and insomnia.

APA’s 2023 Work in America survey also reported how AI affects the psychological well-being and engagement of employees. Worry about AI and how it could make their jobs obsolete was associated with stress and feelings of burnout, negative attitudes about work, not feeling valued at work and intent to seek a new employee.

At the organisational level, not addressing the psychological resistances to technology adoption would include wasted investments in AI products; underperformance of AI-assisted processes; and/or a misaligned or uncontrolled adoption of AI strategies and employee retention. More seriously, Technostress may cause a split between the minority who is all in, and the majority who are resistant. This polarisation inevitably leads to blame, shame and conflict.

How do we assess (Techno)stress?

While some people can cope with and even leverage the positive benefits of technology, others may need more focused attention. The response to a stressor affects an individual’s subjective, emotional experience. Is it fatal, or can I cope? Will I lose my job, or will AI help me get the best from my core strengths?

KDVI has developed a protocol for assessing an individual’s stress level at work, based on easy-to-observe factors such as:

  • How do they look (physical appearance and energy level)?
  • Are they performing well?
  • Do they seem up to the challenge of their job and keen to learn—or overwhelmed and stuck?
  • How is their emotional state: are highs and lows taken in stride, or do they seem to be on an uncontrolled emotional roller coaster?
  • Do they seem to have at least one or two solid and supportive relationships, at work or in their personal life?

Using this protocol, individuals and organisations can begin courageous conversations about AI-related Technostress and mental health.

Working through Technostress together

We are still (mostly) human, and conversation is often the best way to take action. A key starting point for organisations is to ensure that it is easy to ask for help—no shame or punishment attached! Judgment-free conversations about “how AI Technostress affects my work and my well-being” will help lower resistance to engaging with AI.

When organisations set up regular, structured and easily-accessed opportunities for employees to openly discuss their self-perception of AI Technostress—without arguing about pros and cons—then the organisation culture may look more like this:

A ChatGPT-generated quote about a bright future would have been a great way to close this blog, but the app requested permission to share information about me. Cancel—much too techno-invasive! Is there anyone out there who feels the same? Let’s talk!

> If you are interested in developing your understanding of the importance of human dynamics which we touched on in this article, our Leadership Mystique programme delves into how leaders can navigate the emotional and psychological aspects of change (central to addressing technostress).

Oriane Kets de Vries:

Oriane Kets de Vries is CEO and owner of the Kets de Vries Institute. She leads a global team of coaches, consultants and educators dedicated to developing reflective, emotionally intelligent leaders and cultivating workplaces where people can thrive. In her faculty role, she draws on extensive experience designing and directing leadership programmes for senior executives, contributing her expertise in psychodynamic coaching, organisational culture, and transformational leadership development.

Oriane has served as consultant, coach, and programme director for clients including Pictet, Deutsche Bank, Merck, UBS, Mishcon de Reya, and Engie, and she has taught on open-enrolment programmes with leading institutions such as Cambridge Judge Business School, Oxford Saïd, INSEAD, ESCP, ESMT and CEDEP. Her interests centre on the human side of leadership, particularly identity, creativity, entrepreneurship and gender dynamics. She holds an MBA and Executive MA in Coaching and Consulting for Change from INSEAD, has trained at the Harvard Kennedy School, and brings more than a decade of professional experience in creative and entrepreneurial industries into her work with leaders.

Manfred Kets de Vries:

Manfred Kets de Vries is a pioneering authority in leadership development, coaching, and organisational change. He is a founder and director of the Kets de Vries Institute (KDVI) and served as Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organisational Change at INSEAD. With academic credentials in economics (University of Amsterdam), management (MBA and DBA, Harvard Business School), and psychoanalysis (trained in Canada), he brings a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective to leadership. His work bridges management theory and clinical insight, establishing him as a global thought leader in executive coaching and transformation. At INSEAD, he founded the Global Leadership Centre and led the flagship programme The Challenge of Leadership for 31 years. He also served as scientific director of Coaching and Consulting for Change, an 18-month Executive Master’s programme that has shaped over 3,000 senior leaders and executive coaches worldwide. He has advised and coached senior executives at global firms including Goldman Sachs, BP, Shell, Unilever, McKinsey, and Volvo. A prolific author of over 60 books and 400 articles, his work appears regularly in The Financial Times, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review. Recognised by Le Capital, Wirtschaftswoche, and The Financial Times as one of the world’s top 50 management thinkers, he is widely regarded for advancing more human-centred approaches to leadership.

Yulia Chupina:

Senior Adviser (Luminary) at Accenture and executive coach with over 12 years of board experience. Formerly a banker and McKinsey consultant, Yulia has led banking transformations in digital, agile, organisational change, and talent development. Her coaching spans the finance, tech, and consumer goods sectors, blending technological insight with emotional intelligence to guide leaders through transformation. Recently, she advised BBVA on agile methodologies and senior talent development. Influenced by thought leaders such as Manfred Kets de Vries and Gabor Maté, Yulia brings an analytical, reflective approach to leadership. She has lived and worked across the UK, Spain, the US, and Russia.

Elizabeth Florent:

Elizabeth has worked closely with Manfred Kets de Vries for many years and has served as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at INSEAD. Her extensive background in leadership development spans organisational consulting, executive coaching, and academic research. She holds advanced degrees in Organisational Development and Clinical Organisational Psychology and is a certified Coaching Supervisor through the Tavistock Institute. Her doctoral research explored experiential domains in executive education, and she has authored or co-authored numerous academic articles, case studies, and books on leadership and organisational dynamics. Elizabeth led the development teams behind KDVI’s diagnostic instruments, including the GELM, OCA™, and ITI. Drawing on her diverse training and global experience, she brings deep cross-cultural insight to her work with leaders worldwide. Originally from California, Elizabeth has made France her home for over 30 years.