IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp18782.html

Let Me Check on You: Job Quality Under AI and Human Oversight

Author

Listed:
  • Nikolova, Milena

    (University of Groningen)

Abstract

This paper provides the first causal evidence on how Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based workplace safety systems shape perceived job quality. I conducted a preregistered vignette experiment with a nationally representative sample of 2,172 Dutch adults who evaluated otherwise identical workplaces introducing one of three safety systems: human supervisors, AI-only monitoring, or hybrid AI-human supervision. Compared with human supervision, both AI-only and hybrid systems reduced perceived job satisfaction, work meaningfulness, and perceived social value of the job. Contrary to expectations, combining AI with human supervisors did not mitigate these negative effects. Respondents also viewed AI-based systems as less respectful of workers' privacy and dignity, despite viewing them as effective as human supervisors. Perceived fair wages changed little across conditions. These findings suggest that AI can influence work not only by improving safety but also by reducing important non-pecuniary dimensions of job quality, highlighting that the welfare consequences of workplace AI extend beyond productivity and accident prevention.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikolova, Milena, 2026. "Let Me Check on You: Job Quality Under AI and Human Oversight," IZA Discussion Papers 18782, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18782
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp18782.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gihleb, Rania & Giuntella, Osea & Stella, Luca & Wang, Tianyi, 2022. "Industrial robots, Workers’ safety, and health," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Jay Dixon & Bryan Hong & Lynn Wu, 2021. "The Robot Revolution: Managerial and Employment Consequences for Firms," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5586-5605, September.
    3. Clark, Andrew E., 2001. "What really matters in a job? Hedonic measurement using quit data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 223-242, May.
    4. Schouwer, Thimo De & Gsottbauer, Elisabeth & Kesternich, Iris & Schumacher, Heiner, 2025. "Work meaning and fair wages," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    5. Abeliansky, Ana Lucia & Beulmann, Matthias & Prettner, Klaus, 2024. "Are they coming for us? Industrial robots and the mental health of workers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(3).
    6. Stefanie Stantcheva, 2023. "How to Run Surveys: A Guide to Creating Your Own Identifying Variation and Revealing the Invisible," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 15(1), pages 205-234, September.
    7. Vanessa C. Burbano, 2016. "Social Responsibility Messages and Worker Wage Requirements: Field Experimental Evidence from Online Labor Marketplaces," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(4), pages 1010-1028, August.
    8. Marco De Simone, 2026. "Automation and Health and Safety of Workers (HSW): Evidence from Literature Review," Economia & lavoro, Carocci editore, issue 1, pages 81-101.
    9. Henrik Schwabe & Fulvio Castellacci, 2020. "Automation, workers’ skills and job satisfaction," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-26, November.
    10. repec:eee:labchp:v:1:y:1986:i:c:p:641-692 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Non, Arjan & Rohde, Ingrid & de Grip, Andries & Dohmen, Thomas, 2022. "Mission of the company, prosocial attitudes and job preferences: A discrete choice experiment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    12. Anselm Küsters & Benjamin Schneider, 2025. "What is Technological Unemployment," Oxford Economic and Social History Working Papers _218, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    13. Milena Nikolova & Boris Nikolaev & Christopher Boudreaux, 2023. "Being your own boss and bossing others: the moderating effect of managing others on work meaning and autonomy for the self-employed and employees," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 463-483, February.
    14. Niilo Noponen & Polina Feshchenko & Tommi Auvinen & Vilma Luoma-aho & Pekka Abrahamsson, 2024. "Taylorism on steroids or enabling autonomy? A systematic review of algorithmic management," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 1695-1721, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shen, Chen & Zeng, Hao & Fan, Ruizhe, 2026. "Workers' subjective well-being in human-robot interaction: Evidence from China labor-force dynamics survey," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    2. Nikolova, Milena & Cnossen, Femke & Nikolaev, Boris, 2024. "Robots, meaning, and self-determination," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(5).
    3. Caselli, Mauro & Fracasso, Andrea & Scicchitano, Sergio & Traverso, Silvio & Tundis, Enrico, 2025. "What workers and robots do: An activity-based analysis of the impact of robotization on changes in local employment," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(1).
    4. He, Chao & Zhou, Zhongsheng & Jian, Fangfang & Qiu, Yuhan, 2025. "Robots and cost of equity: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(PB).
    5. Tim Hinks, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence Perceptions and Life Satisfaction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 1-14, February.
    6. Jurkat, Anne & Klump, Rainer & Schneider, Florian, 2025. "Robots and wages: A meta-analysis," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 541-567.
    7. Marco De Simone & Dario Guarascio & Jelena Reljic, 2025. "The impact of robots on workplace injuries and deaths:Empirical evidence from Europe," Working Papers in Public Economics 255, Department of Economics and Law, Sapienza University of Rome.
    8. Melanie Arntz & Sebastian Findeisen & Stephan Maurer & Oliver Schlenker, 2024. "Are we yet sick of new technologies? The unequal health effects of digitalization," CEP Discussion Papers dp1984, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    9. Yuhong Du & Hazrul Shahiri & Xiahai Wei, 2025. "The penetration of robotic technology, task content routinisation and job satisfaction: Evidence from China," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 50(3), pages 876-894, August.
    10. Klump, Rainer & Jurkat, Anne & Schneider, Florian, 2021. "Tracking the rise of robots: A survey of the IFR database and its applications," MPRA Paper 107909, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Qiren Liu & Sen Luo & Robert Seamans, 2023. "Pain or Anxiety? The Health Consequences of Rising Robot Adoption in China," Papers 2301.10675, arXiv.org.
    12. Gorny, Paul M. & Woodard, Ritchie C., 2020. "Don't Fear the Robots: Automatability and Job Satisfaction," MPRA Paper 103424, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Wassim Le Lann & Gauthier Delozière & Yann Le Lann, 2023. "Greenwashing the Talents: attracting human capital through environmental pledges," Sciences Po Economics Publications (main) hal-04140191, HAL.
    14. Wei, Haixiang & Huang, Xuanhao, 2026. "Industrial robots and corporate trade credit," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    15. Vanessa C. Burbano & Olle Folke & Stephan Meier & Johanna Rickne, 2024. "The Gender Gap in Meaningful Work," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 70(10), pages 7004-7023, October.
    16. Gordon Burtch & Brad Greenwood & Kiron Ravindran, 2025. "Lucy and the Chocolate Factory: Warehouse Robotics and Worker Safety," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 78(4), pages 587-613, August.
    17. Milena Nikolova, 2026. "Work Orientations and Economics," Economic Studies in Inequality, Social Exclusion, and Well-Being, in: Milena Nikolova (ed.), Work Meaning and Motivation, pages 185-207, Springer.
    18. Changkeun LEE & Olivia Hye KIM & Hwanoong LEE, 2026. "How will automation reshape worker well-being? Evidence from a highly automated economy," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    19. Wang, Weilong & Wang, Jianlong & Ye, Huiying & Wu, Haitao, 2024. "Polluted air, smarter factories? China's robot imports shed light on a potential link," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    20. Valtonen, Alena & Kimpimäki, Jaan-Pauli & Savela, Nina, 2026. "Employee wellbeing: A computational review on the consequences of workplace automation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • I39 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Other
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18782. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Mark Fallak (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaalu.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.