How AI Can Support Mental Wellness at Work

For a long time, shows and cartoons have imagined what the presence of electronics in our world might be like. ABC’s Modern Family has referenced devices being used to manage tasks and the Jetson Family has imagined smart watches and Digital Assistants (like Siri) by the 2020s. 

But what is AI? 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that can reason, learn, and act in a way that typically requires human intelligence. This means humans can train machines, particularly computer systems, to operate in a way that historically only humans could do.  

It has been considered our future and has been in the making for a while. With significant advancements and easy access to AI tools, the future is here! It is reshaping how students take up assignments and how organizations operate. According to a 2023 report by McKinsey, companies that properly adopt AI technologies see a 15% increase in productivity. This trend will grow as AI applications become more efficient and we find better uses for them. 

How Can You Use AI Within Organizations? 

Organizations are looking to buy existing AI interfaces, or even develop their own, with the hope of building more efficient workplaces. 

Use AI to automate repetitive tasks; identify patterns across large or complex data sets; identify and reduce safety hazards in physical workplaces; do risk assessments for big projects, etc. All of these can support professionals and managers to focus on strategic decision-making and rapid implementation of administrative tasks, and encourage integrating data analysis into the workplace. 

If you are considering investing in AI tools for your organization, spend time exploring and experimenting with them. You can even create a team or redirect employees towards this, to involve employee voices in the process. 

How Can AI Encourage Mental Wellness at Work? 

At an individual level, AI tools can

• help you create helpful personalized nutrition and fitness plans, even setting reminders and accountability to implement these plans
• imagine and develop personal and professional goals, and build a sustainable path to working towards them
• provide you with constant motivation, encouraging you to stay on track and reach your goals, whether wellness or work-related
• offer consistent check-in spaces and reminders to pause, offering time to see how you are doing right now
• help you plan tasks more effectively giving you more time to execute them, adapting to your work habits, and energy levels throughout the day, and ensuring effective task prioritisation. 

At an organizational level, AI tools can

• regularly encourage or remind employees to seek mental wellness services that organizations may already provide
• take up tasks like creating schedules and setting up meetings across teams, reducing logistical work and allowing more time for collaborative work
• perform repetitive tasks like data entry, scheduling, and basic customer inquiries. This reduces human error or proofreading time freeing up time for critical activities
• be used to help individuals plan long-term finances along with investments and insurance plans, and keep track of monthly and annual payments as well
• analyze to identify patterns in employee performance, engagement, and wellness. These tools give data that leaders can use to detect early signs of burnout and disengagement. It is a vital and proactive approach towards mental wellness.

Using AI to Create Disability-Friendly Workplaces 

Supporting different disabilities and learning styles at workplaces has always been a need, but hardly ever prioritised. AI tools can be used to support designing larger programs, as well as simple practices in everyday work. 

By offering real-time assistance with complex tasks, these tools can help reduce cognitive load and provide adaptive support. For example, having auto-generated captions and/or transcribing during meetings can help those people process information by reading as well as listening and also give them the chance to go through details at their pace outside the meeting. It can also be helpful to those with hearing impairment. 

They can also break down complex information, making learning more personalized for different understanding levels. They also offer writing tools that can be helpful for those with learning conditions, or someone with low fluency in a certain language. For instance, using AI tools to write an email that is concise, formal and with correct grammar and spelling can ease the tension for many uncomfortable with this form of communication, without taking away from their clarity of work. 

As an organization, it can be used to understand the physical needs of employees, and even keep track of their wellbeing regularly. Different AI platforms are now being used to help PWD (People with Disabilities) find jobs and tasks matching their interests and capacities. This can lead to unbiased and unassumed hiring and a more inclusive workplace. 

People feel cared for and want to be present when they know their organisation supports truly inclusivity. 

Ultimately ….

here’s the key thing: AI should be used to complement human work, not to replace it. Many studies are predicting big replacements of human labour in the coming years, and we already see AI-created art or its responses to mental health concerns. 

Mental wellness must not be replaced by bots but can be used to make it accessible. 

Along with this, ensure that your use of AI tools is ethical! There are many in the market today, along with research on the impact of AI tools on climate change and other considerations to keep in mind. 

FAQs

Are AI tools for mental wellness expensive for organizations?

This greatly varies based on the provider, the features offered, and the size of the organization. Some tools may require an upfront investment while others are subscription-based. Many companies find the cost to be worth it, as AI tools can reduce absenteeism, improve employee productivity, and enhance overall workplace morale.

How can organizations measure the effectiveness of AI-driven mental wellness programs?

Employee engagement with the AI tools, employee satisfaction surveys, and tracking metrics like absenteeism rates, productivity, and overall employee wellbeing can measure the effectiveness of such programs. Regular assessments, along with direct feedback from employees and small group discussions with Wellness Ambassadors can give an overall measure.