Preventive medicine reports
Associations of artificial intelligence use at work with psychological distress, loneliness, and life satisfaction among employed US adults
By Bather JR, Cuevas AG, Goodman MS and 1 others.
Abstract
Objective
To quantify the associations between artificial intelligence use at work and psychosocial well-being among employed adults in the United States.
Methods
Nationally representative data come from the Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (United States, March 2026). Artificial intelligence use at work was measured as the number of distinct assisted work tasks. Outcomes included psychological distress, loneliness, and life satisfaction. Regression models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, region of residence, occupation, and telework frequency.
Results
The data generalized to 152 million employed U.S. adults, with 51.7% using artificial intelligence at work. The most common artificial intelligence task was "searching for information or technical help" (35.8%), followed by "writing communications, documentation, or instructions" (31.6%). Greater artificial intelligence use at work was associated with greater life satisfaction (0.11 SD increase, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.16) and a higher prevalence of feeling lonely (aPR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.25). There was no significant association with moderate-to-severe psychological distress.