Can Artificial Intelligence Improve Work-Life Balance? Examining the Relationship between AI Adoption, Workload, Stress and Employee Well-Being

Abstract

The growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in organisations is changing how employees perform, organise, and experience their work. AI-supported systems can automate routine activities, assist with information processing and improve the speed of task completion. These advantages have created expectations that AI may help employees manage their professional responsibilities more efficiently and achieve a healthier work-life balance. At the same time, increased dependence on AI can introduce new pressures, including higher performance expectations, continuous technological adaptation, work intensification and technology-related stress. The present paper examines the relationship between AI adoption, workload, stress, work-life balance and employee well-being. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) perspective, the paper conceptualises AI as a workplace resource when it reduces unnecessary effort and supports employees, while recognising that it may become a job demand when it increases pressure and complexity. The paper proposes an empirical framework in which workload and stress explain how AI adoption may influence work-life balance and employee well-being. Recent research indicates that AI can improve task optimisation and work-life outcomes under supportive conditions, while AI-related technostress may contribute to exhaustion and work-family conflict. (DOI) The study provides a foundation for future empirical investigation and highlights the need for organisations to evaluate AI not only through productivity indicators but also through employee health, balance and sustainable work practices.