RELATIONSHIP OF GENERATIVE AI DEPENDENCY WITH WORK ALIENATION AND NEED FOR COGNITION AMONG WORKING PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

The growing integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in workplaces has transformed the way professionals think, learn and perform tasks. While AI enhances efficiency and accessibility, increasing dependence on it may influence employee’s cognitive engagement and their psychological connection with work. The present study aims to examine the relationship of Generative AI Dependency with Work Alienation and Need for Cognition among working professionals. The study is grounded in the assumption that greater reliance on AI may be associated with increased alienation from work and reduced inclination towards cognitive effort.  It is hypothesized that Hypothesis 1: there will be a significant positive relationship between Generative AI Dependency and Work Alienation and Hypothesis 2: there will be a significant negative relationship between Generative AI Dependency and Need for Cognition. A quantitative correlational design will be employed and data will be collected using standardized measures: the Generative AI Dependency Scale (Goh, Hartanto & Majeed, 2025), the Work Alienation Scale (Nair & Vohra, 2010) and the Need for Cognition Scale (Cacioppo, Petty & Kao, 1984), each scale consisting of 11, 8 and 18 items respectively. The questionnaires will be administered through Google Forms to a sample of working professionals. Pearson correlation will be used to analyze the relationship among variables. The study seeks to contribute to emerging literature on the psychological implications of AI usage by exploring whether reliance on generative AI is associated with greater feelings of detachment from work and reduced inclination towards cognitive effort. Findings are expected to inform balanced human-AI interaction strategies that preserve critical thinking and employee’s sense of meaning within organizational settings.