EXAMINING EMPLOYEES’ EMOTIONS TOWARDS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI): A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate employees’ perspectives on artificial intelligence (AI) and understand their opinions and emotions regarding the future advancements of AI and its potential impacts on their work lives. We conducted a qualitative study using an inductive approach and a phenomenological research design. We employed purposive sampling methods to select 20 participants from various sectors for interviews to achieve this goal. We utilized content analysis with the MAXQDA 2024 program, followed by descriptive and relational analyses of the categories and codes we obtained. Our research showed that the most common emotion among participants regarding their encounters with AI was ‘astonishment.’ We discovered that the participants had mixed feelings towards AI, including positive emotions such as happiness, curiosity, admiration, and excitement, and negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, and distrust. Our study showed that respondents were most surprised and happiest about how AI makes life easier and more convenient and how its speed gives people more time for their personal lives. Conversely, the factors that caused the most concern and fear among participants were the potential for mass unemployment due to AI and the risk of encouraging laziness in people. Many of them believe that AI has the potential to bring significant advantages to humanity, particularly in fields such as healthcare, the environment, and the economy. However, there is also a growing concern and fear around the possibility that AI could spiral out of control, be utilized in biological, chemical, and technological warfare, and result in widespread unemployment.

Keywords

• Artificial Intelligence
• AI
• Human-Artificial Intelligence Interaction
• Emotions
• Qualitative Research

ÇALIŞANLARIN YAPAY ZEKAYA (YZ) YÖNELİK DUYGULARININ İNCELENMESİ: NİTEL BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, çalışanların Yapay Zeka (YZ) için hissettikleri duyguları açığa çıkarmak ve YZ’nin gelecekteki gelişimi ve iş yaşamı üzerindeki olası etkileri konusundaki görüşlerini ve duygularını öğrenmektedir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, tümevarım yaklaşımı ve fenomenoloji araştırma deseni ile nitel bir araştırma tasarladık. Amaçlı örnekleme yöntemlerinden ölçüt ve kartopu örnekleme yöntemlerini kullanarak farklı sektörlerde çalışan 20 katılımcı belirledik ve onlarla görüşmeler yaptık. Verileri MAXQDA 2024 programı kullanarak içerik analizine tabi tuttuk ve elde ettiğimiz kategoriler ve kodlar üzerinde betimsel ve ilişkisel analizler gerçekleştirdik. Katılımcıların YZ ile ilgili anılarından oluşan öykülerinde en sık rastlanan duygunun şaşkınlık olduğunu; ancak bir süre sonra duruma alıştıklarını ve kendilerini daha rahat hissederek YZ’yi kullandıklarını tespit ettik. Katılımcıların YZ’ye mutluluk, merak, hayranlık ve heyecan gibi olumlu hisler beslerken aynı zamanda endişe, korku, öfke, hayal kırıklığı ve güvensizlik de hissettiğini belirledik. Katılımcıları en fazla şaşırtan ve onları en mutlu eden faktörlerin, YZ’nin hayatı daha kolay ve elverişli hale getirmesi ve hızı sayesinde insanlara özel hayatları için daha fazla zaman kazandırması olduğunu; onları en fazla endişelendiren ve korkutan faktörlerin ise işsizliğin artması ve YZ’nin insanları tembelliğe itmesi olduğunu bulduk. Katılımcıların YZ’nin sağlık, çevre, ekonomi gibi alanlarda insanlık için çok büyük faydalar yaratacağı konusunda umutlu olmakla birlikte kontrolden çıkmasından, biyolojik, kimyasal ve teknolojik savaşlarda kullanılmasından ve kitlesel düzeyde işsizliğe yol açmasından ciddi düzeyde endişe ve korku duyduğunu saptadık.

Keywords

• Yapay Zeka
• YZ
• İnsan-Yapay Zeka Etkileşimi
• Duygular
• Nitel Araştırma

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