Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 19
personal history in the way a
trained professional can.
There are also privacy
concerns. Many people share
deeply personal information
with AI tools, including
thoughts, fears, health
symptoms and relationship
problems. Before using any
AI tool for sensitive topics, it
is important to understand
how your data may be stored,
used or shared.
Another concern is emotional
dependency. Some AI
companion tools are designed
to feel warm, responsive and
human-like. While that may
feel comforting, it can become
problematic if someone begins
replacing real relationships,
professional support or social
connection with a chatbot.
Human connection remains
one of the most important
protective factors for mental
health and cannot be
replicated or replaced through
technology, no matter how
sophisticated it is.
AI at Work: Productivity Tool
or Pressure Cooker?
In workplaces, AI is often
promoted as a productivity
booster. It can certainly help
with repetitive tasks, drafting,
research, reporting and
planning. But productivity
gains do not necessarily
translate into better
wellbeing. On the contrary,
it can create anxiety which
shows up as “AI pressure”.
Employees may feel they
need to use AI to be more
productive, faster or more
ef昀椀cient, while also worrying
that the technology could
make their role less secure.
If AI simply raises
expectations, increases
workload or makes
employees feel they must be
“always on”, it can contribute
to stress and burnout. Safe
Work Australia recognises
that new technologies,
including arti昀椀cial intelligence
and automation, can bring
bene昀椀ts but also need
appropriate oversight so
workers are not exposed to
new or additional work health
and safety risks [4].
This links closely with
psychosocial hazards, which
are work factors that can cause
psychological or physical
harm. High job demands, low
control, poor support, unclear
expectations and poorly
managed change can all
increase stress. If AI is added
into a workplace without
consultation, training and clear
boundaries, it can become
another source of pressure.
The healthiest workplaces
will not be the ones that
simply adopt AI the fastest.
They will be the ones that
adopt it thoughtfully.
