From: https://tinyurl.com/ycxvn3pa (theepochtimes.com)

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Loneliness and Insomnia Linked to Work With AI Systems

Jane Nguyen
Jun 18 2023

People frequently working with artificial intelligence (AI) can be lonely,
which can lead to insomnia and increased after-work drinking, a new study
found.

The research was published online June 12 in the Journal of Applied
Psychology.

Researchers noted these findings establish correlations and don't prove
that working with AI systems causes loneliness or other responses, just
that they are associated. The study, conducted across different cultures
in the United States, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, consisted of four
experiments. The findings were consistent across cultures.

"The rapid advancement in AI systems is sparking a new industrial
revolution that is reshaping the workplace with many benefits but also
some uncharted dangers, including potentially damaging mental and physical
impacts for employees," said lead researcher Pok Man Tang, an assistant
professor of management at the University of Georgia.

"Humans are social animals, and isolating work with AI systems may have
damaging spillover effects into employees' personal lives."

However, working with AI systems may have some positive aspects. The
researchers found that employees who frequently used AI systems were more
likely to offer help to their colleagues, but this response may be
triggered by their loneliness and the need for social interaction.

The researchers also found that participants with high levels of
attachment anxiety, which is the tendency to feel insecure and worried
about social connections, reported working with AI systems made them more
likely to help others. They also suffered from loneliness and insomnia.

In one experiment, 166 engineers at a Taiwanese biomedical company working
with AI systems were asked about their feelings of loneliness, attachment
anxiety, and sense of belonging over three weeks. Coworkers rated each
individual on their helpful behaviors, while family members reported on
their insomnia and after-work alcohol consumption. The results showed that
employees who interacted more frequently with AI systems were more likely
to experience loneliness, insomnia, and increased after-work alcohol
consumption. However, they also showed helping behaviors toward their
coworkers.

In another experiment with 126 real estate consultants in an Indonesian
property management company, half were told not to use AI systems for
three consecutive days, while the others were encouraged to work with AI
systems as much as possible. The findings for people who worked with AI
were similar to the previous experiment, except there was no association
between the frequency of AI use and after-work alcohol consumption.

There were similar findings from an online experiment with 214 full-time
workers in the United States and another 294 employees at a Malaysian tech
company.

Tang suggested that developers of AI technology should consider equipping
AI systems with social features, such as a human voice, to emulate
human-like interactions. Employers can also limit the frequency of work
with AI systems and offer opportunities for employees to socialize.

"Mindfulness programs and other positive interventions also might help
relieve loneliness," Tang said. "AI will keep expanding, so we need to act
now to lessen the potentially damaging effects for people who work with
these systems."

Meanwhile, a recent report from the U.S. surgeon general, "Our Epidemic of
Loneliness and Isolation," found that loneliness is something as dangerous
as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Loneliness is more than just a bad feeling. It harms individual and
societal health, according to the report. It's associated with a greater
risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and
premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is
similar to smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day and is even greater than
obesity and physical inactivity.

Large population studies have documented that among initially healthy
people tracked over time, those who are more socially connected live
longer, while those who experience social deficits, including isolation,
loneliness, and poor-quality relationships, are more likely to die
earlier, regardless of the cause of death, according to the report.

"Each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our
connections and relationships. Our individual relationships are an
untapped resource-a source of healing hiding in plain sight. They can help
us live healthier, more productive, and more fulfilled lives. Answer that
phone call from a friend. Make time to share a meal. Listen without the
distraction of your phone. Perform an act of service. Express yourself
authentically. The keys to human connection are simple but extraordinarily
powerful," Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote.

Beth Brelje contributed to this report.
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