Why humans use generative AI at work (WHAI-w): Scale development and validation of a needs-based measure.
Sandra Ohly, Mascha Goldschmitt, Hadar Nesher-Shoshan, Xenia Bolschakow, K. Neufeld, Thomas Rigotti · Technology Mind and Behavior · 2026
Although generative AI (genAI) is now widely used at work, research has mostly focused on how often people use it or how they prompt it, rather than why they use it.We address this gap by introducing Why Humans Use GenAI at Work (WHAI-w), a new construct capturing three motives for genAI use: utilitarian, hedonic-social, and hedonic-play.We developed and tested 15 WHAI-w items in two German samples of genAI users in 2024 (Sample 1: N = 355; Sample 2: N = 162 employees using genAI at work at least weekly).Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor structure.The final nine-item scale showed acceptable to good reliability and evidence of convergent, discriminant, criterion, and incremental validity.All three WHAI-w subscales predicted work engagement beyond need strength, and hedonic-social WHAI-w predicted momentary genAI use beyond AI literacy and later genAI use.WHAI-w offers a concise new way to explain differences in employees' motives for genAI use and, potentially, its consequences.