Artificial Intelligence use linked to sleeping disorders, loneliness: Study

ChatGPT-like artificial intelligence has created a lot of buzz in the past few months with people discussing the potential and dangers of AI. While on the surface, many technical dangers of artificial intelligence are being flagged, nobody is actually pondering over the mental aspect of such technologies. A recent study by the American Psychological Association has revealed that people engaging with AI are more prone to sleeping disorders, loneliness, and increased after-work drinking.

The Journal of Applied Psychology published the research which was conducted across nations and regions. The experiments were conducted in countries like the United States, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Malaysia and almost similar findings are obtained.

The experts have pointed out that the advancement in AI technologies in reshaping the workspaces with impacts on the mental health of many workers.

New Industrial Revolution 

"The rapid advancement in AI systems is sparking a new industrial revolution that is reshaping the workplace with many benefits but also some uncharted dangers, including potentially damaging mental and physical impacts for employees," said Tang, an assistant professor of management at the University of Georgia.

"Humans are social animals, and isolating work with AI systems may have damaging spillover effects into employees' personal lives," Tang added.

On the other side, artificial intelligence is also helping people to make more connections as an employee using AI is more likely to help his fellow employee, but this helping nature may also be borne out completely by his/her loneliness or the need for social interaction.

Also Read: India to regulate AI for user protection: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Exacerbates social issues 

The use of AI exacerbates the existent social issues like attachment anxiety. The study has revealed that people with tendency to feel insecure and worried about social connections react more to the artificial intelligence system. They use it more to help others while being more prone to feel lonely or insomniac due to its use.

"Mindfulness programs and other positive interventions also might help relieve loneliness," Tang said.

"AI will keep expanding so we need to act now to lessen the potentially damaging effects for people who work with these systems," Tang added.