Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 10;18(4):1690. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041690.
Workplace environments have a significant impact on worker performance, health, and well-being. With machine learning capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) can be developed to automate individualized adjustments to work environments (e.g., lighting, temperature) and to facilitate healthier worker behaviors (e.g., posture). Worker perspectives on incorporating AI into office workspaces are largely unexplored. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore office workers' views on including AI in their office workspace. Six focus group interviews with a total of 45 participants were conducted. Interview questions were designed to generate discussion on benefits, challenges, and pragmatic considerations for incorporating AI into office settings. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an iterative approach. Two primary constructs emerged. First, participants shared perspectives related to preferences and concerns regarding communication and interactions with the technology. Second, numerous conversations highlighted the dualistic nature of a system that collects large amounts of data; that is, the potential benefits for behavior change to improve health and the pitfalls of trust and privacy. Across both constructs, there was an overarching discussion related to the intersections of AI with the complexity of work performance. Numerous thoughts were shared relative to future AI solutions that could enhance the office workplace. This study's findings indicate that the acceptability of AI in the workplace is complex and dependent upon the benefits outweighing the potential detriments. Office worker needs are complex and diverse, and AI systems should aim to accommodate individual needs.
工作环境对工人的绩效、健康和幸福感有重大影响。通过机器学习能力，可以开发人工智能（AI）来自动调整工作环境（例如照明、温度），并促进更健康的工人行为（例如姿势）。工人对将 AI 纳入办公空间的看法在很大程度上尚未得到探索。因此，本研究旨在探讨办公室工作人员对将 AI 纳入其办公空间的看法。共进行了六次焦点小组访谈，共有 45 名参与者。访谈问题旨在讨论将 AI 纳入办公环境的益处、挑战和实际考虑因素。会议进行了录音、转录，并采用迭代方法进行了分析。出现了两个主要结构。首先，参与者分享了对与技术进行沟通和互动的偏好和关注的观点。其次，许多对话强调了收集大量数据的系统的二元性；也就是说，改变行为以改善健康的潜在好处，以及信任和隐私的陷阱。在这两个结构中，都有一个关于 AI 与工作绩效复杂性交叉的总体讨论。人们对未来可能增强办公场所的 AI 解决方案进行了广泛的讨论。本研究的结果表明，AI 在工作场所的可接受性是复杂的，取决于收益是否超过潜在的不利因素。办公人员的需求是复杂和多样化的，AI 系统应旨在满足个人需求。
