Challenge or catalyst? How employees’ artificial intelligence awareness affects their innovative behaviour in the workplace

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into an organisation creates changes in daily routines and processes, which upsets users’ comfort zones and brings about AI awareness. At the same time, the human-centered AI (HCAI) agenda emphasises placing users at the centre of AI development and calls for closer attention to how AI-enabled systems affect people’s experiences, work, and well-being. In this context, this study explores how employees perceive AI technology in their job prospects and how to cope with these potential changes in the workplace. Data were collected from 311 employees of organisations that have already adopted AI. Based on the conservation of resources theory, the dual pathway of AI awareness on employees’ innovative behaviour was revealed. The results demonstrate two mediating mechanisms through which AI awareness affects employees’ innovative behaviour: knowledge hiding and exploratory learning. Moreover, change readiness strengthens the effect of AI awareness on exploratory learning. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of human-centered adaptive capacities in navigating AI-integrated work environments.