Affective Responses, Attitudes, and Use of AI
Atte Oksanen, Iina Savolainen · 2026
The use and adoption of AI are not simply questions of access. Research on technology acceptance has long shown that uptake depends on users’ perceptions, attitudes, and expectations. AI elicits strong emotions because it is transforming working life faster than may feel comfortable for many workers. In this chapter, we present large-scale evidence on AI adoption among workers across 12 countries in six continents, examining not only whether workers use AI but how they use it and how their attitudes influence current uptake. We show and discuss meaningful cross-national differences in both AI use and trust toward AI and its developers. Moving beyond affective responses, the chapter also examines AI use as part of workers’ identity processes and considers how concerns about AI-driven changes to work relate to adoption.