Will I be replaced? The impact of job insecurity on frontline employees in the era of AI

Purpose With the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the service robots (SRs) are involved in more fields of work and the “technological unemployment” are increasingly worried frontline employees (FLEs). Drawing on the job demands-resources model (JD-R model) and symbolic interactionism, this study aims to address the negative association between job insecurity and work well-being by examining the mediating role of work engagement and moderating role of growth need strength of FLEs and intelligence of SRs. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. The quantitative phase involves a survey of 401 FLEs from 50 restaurants across China. The qualitative component comprises two distinct phases: First, semistructured interviews with 15 FLEs were conducted to explain the untested hypothesis and proposed the symbolic meanings of SRs. Subsequently, a second round of semistructured interviews with 23 FLEs was implemented to further explore the connotative dimensions of these symbolic meanings and investigate how they influence the moderating role of the perceived SRs’ intelligence. Findings This study supports the negative impact of job insecurity on work engagement and work well-being. It also reveals that the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship of “job insecurity-work well-being” is moderated by growth need strength of FLEs, thereby uncovering the dark side of job resource. While the moderating effect of intelligence of SRs is not significant, which did not support the initial hypothesis. The authors have further elucidated this nonconfirmation through qualitative study, and find that the differing symbolic meanings of SRs lead FLEs to view it as either motivator or stress. Originality/value This study contributes to current job insecurity literature in the context of AI. It uncovers the dark side of job resource based on employees’ symbolic interpretations on SRs. The authors interpret the symbolic meanings embedded in SR and explore the complex impacts of job insecurity caused by SR from the perspective of its symbolic meanings.