Artificial Intelligence at Work: An Integrative Perspective on the Impact of AI on Workplace Inequality

The nexus between technology and workplace inequality has been a long-standing topic of scholarly interest, now heightened by the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI). Our review moves beyond dystopian or utopian views of AI by identifying four perspectives—normative, cognitive, structural, and relational—espoused by scholars examining the impact of AI on workplace inequality specifically, and the structure and organization of work more broadly. We discuss the respective strengths, limitations, and underlying assumptions of these perspectives and highlight how each perspective speaks to a particular facet of workplace inequality: either encoded, evaluative, wage, or relational inequality. Integrating these perspectives enables a deeper understanding of the mechanisms, processes, and trajectories through which AI influences workplace inequality, as well as the role that organizational managers, workers, and policymakers could play in the process. Toward this end, we introduce a framework on the “inequality cascades” of AI that traces how and when inequality emerges and amplifies cumulatively as AI systems progress through the phases of development, implementation, and use in organizations. In turn, we articulate a research agenda for management and organizational scholars to better understand AI and its multifaceted impact on workplace inequality, and we examine potential mechanisms to mitigate its adverse consequences.