Dynamics of Employee Adaptation, Anxiety, and Role Change Under AI Integration in Indonesia

Abstract

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming Indonesian workplaces, reshaping employees’ perceptions of work, identity, and job security. This study explores employees’ experiences of AI integration, workplace anxiety, readiness for change, and evolving job roles. Guided by the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, the Job Demands–Resources model, Change Readiness Theory, Role Theory, and UTAUT, an interpretive phenomenological approach was employed. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees and HR practitioners from banking, manufacturing, and digital-service organizations in Indonesia. Data were triangulated through workplace observations and organizational documents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: ambivalent perceptions of AI, anxieties over job displacement and surveillance, uneven readiness shaped by digital literacy and psychological safety, role shifts toward analytical and relational work, and the importance of transparent communication and learning culture. The findings demonstrate that successful AI adoption depends on technological implementation, organizational support, psychological safety, AI literacy, and participatory change management.