Supporting technological transformation in manufacturing: an exploratory study of operator perceptions and adaptations to AI[Accompagner la transformation technologique en milieu manufacturier : une étude exploratoire des perceptions et adaptations des opérateurs face à l’IA]

The growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into operations management is profoundly transforming production environments. While AI offers significant benefits in terms of analysis and automation, it also generates tensions by reshaping work practices, employee engagement, and motivation. This study adopts an exploratory approach within a real organizational setting to analyze the effects of AI implementation on the practices and perceptions of production operators. It highlights the ambivalent experiences of frontline workers, who navigate between perceived opportunities and concerns over a technology sometimes viewed as intrusive. Preliminary findings identify key challenges related to AI appropriation and underscore the need for a deeper understanding of organizational change dynamics. Finally, the study provides an opportunity to confront and validate findings from experimental research conducted in a learning factory within an actual industrial context.