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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