AI increases stress for software professionals beyond learning new tools
Technostress in the Age of AI: A Preliminary Study with Software Professionals
Software Engineering
Summary
AI is changing how people who build software work, and it can cause stress called technostress. The study found that this stress comes not only from learning new AI tools but also from managing new responsibilities and career changes. The authors surveyed 121 software workers from many countries to understand their experiences. They show that AI is affecting how these professionals do their work and how they plan for the future.
What this means in practice
- •For software team managers: Identify sources of AI-related stress to better support team members adopting new tools and managing changing project roles.
- •For workplace wellbeing coordinators: Design intervention programs that address stress beyond skills training for software professionals working with AI technologies.
Authors
Ronnie de Souza Santos, Italo Santos, Cleyton Magalhaes, Zixuan Feng
Abstract
The rapid adoption and evolution of AI are changing software engineering work and requiring professionals to repeatedly adapt their knowledge, practices, and skills. Although technological adaptation has long characterized software development, less is known about how these new and recurring pressures manifest as technostress. This preliminary exploratory study investigates AI related technostress among software professionals. We conducted a survey and performed a thematic analysis of responses from 121 software professionals across 26 countries reporting their recent experiences with AI at work. Our findings suggest that AI related technostress emerges not only from adapting to rapidly changing technologies, but also from having to manage the work, technical responsibilities, and professional changes that accompany their adoption. This characterization shows that AI introduces pressures beyond learning and using new tools, affecting how software professionals perform and remain accountable for technical work and how they prepare for the future of their careers.