Toward a conceptual model of AI-induced job demands: a systematic literature review
Navid Julian Sardarabady, Susanne Durst · International Studies of Management and Organization · 2026
This study aims to clarify how artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes job demands by consolidating relevant insights from existing research. Building on this, we develop a conceptual model that structures the topic of AI-induced job demands and makes their interrelationships explicit. A focused systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted, following established protocols to identify, select, and synthesize relevant studies. The review focused on 35 peer-reviewed articles that discuss AI and job demands, employing a constructivist grounded theory inspired approach for data analysis. The research identified five categories of job demands: technical, ethical, cognitive, emotional, and social demands, and explored their interrelationships. The analysis reveals that AI use reshapes job demands across multiple dimensions and that these demands are interrelated rather than isolated. Foundational requirements such as technical skills and ethical awareness are prerequisites for engaging with AI, while cognitive and emotional demands emerge as employees interact with AI systems and tools. Social demands arise from the necessity of collaboration with both human colleagues and AI technologies. This research contributes to the literature by providing a conceptual model that elucidates the multifaceted nature of AI-induced job demands. It further contributes to ongoing discussions on the digital transformation of work by offering a conceptual model that structures AI-induced job demands, clarifies their interrelationships, and may support more coherent future research and targeted empirical investigation. The resulting model may also assist practitioners by offering a clearer understanding of AI-induced job demands and how they are connected, thereby potentially informing more targeted support and development strategies for employees.