The “Catfish Effect” of AI: AI Adoption, Status Striving, and Innovative and Helping Behaviors

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace is fundamentally reshaping organizational dynamics. However, existing research primarily focuses on the direct effects of AI on individual outcomes, with limited attention given to its influence on human interactions. AI’s emergence introduces a new layer of complexity in how employees perceive themselves relative to their colleagues, particularly as social comparison processes become more pronounced in the context of varying levels of AI adoption. Drawing on social comparison theory, our study examines how AI adoption at both the individual and team levels impacts employees’ status striving and subsequent behaviors, such as innovation and helping. Using multi-wave field data collected from 459 employees in 96 teams, we found a positive relationship between individual AI adoption and status striving when team AI adoption variance was low, as opposed to high. Furthermore, the indirect effects of AI adoption on both innovative and helping behaviors, mediated by status striving, were positive when team AI adoption variance was low but not significant when variance was high. This suggests that when team members demonstrate similar levels of AI adoption, employees with higher AI adoption levels are more inclined to engage in status striving, which in turn promotes innovation and helping behaviors. By exploring the nuanced interactions between AI adoption and team dynamics, this study provides fresh insights into the complex role of technology in modern organizational contexts. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.