# Understanding AI in the Workplace (Pilot Study) This project documents the pilot phase of the *Understanding AI in the Workplace* study, an independent research initiative conducted in April 2025 while I was a graduate student at Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations. The study explores how artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping the worker experience, with a focus on job stress, surveillance, collaboration, autonomy, and meaning. The constructs were partially inspired by emotional patterns observed in gig work (e.g., reduced autonomy, algorithmic oversight), which served as a conceptual lens for exploring broader changes in traditional employment contexts. The pilot tested early versions of the survey instrument and surfaced initial insights from 17 participants across a range of industries, including unionized sectors and technology-adjacent roles. This pilot phase informed the design and refinement of the Phase 2 survey, which is now preregistered and publicly available: 👉 [View the Phase 2 preregistration](https://osf.io/4256s) ## Contents - **[Methods Note](https://osf.io/4myhu)** - **[Ethics Statement](https://osf.io/x8976/wiki/Ethics%20Statement/)** - **Key Findings:** Summarized in the Methods Note This project is an independent research effort conducted by Eric P. Rhodes, guided by open science principles and ethical research practices. --- **Subjects:** Social and Behavioral Sciences, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Labor Relations, Business, Economics, and Psychology. **License:** This work is made available under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). **Suggested Citation:** Rhodes, E. P. (2025). *Understanding AI in the Workplace (Pilot Study)*. Open Science Framework. [https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/X8976](https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/X8976) **For Questions or Collaboration Inquiries:** Please contact [Eric P. Rhodes](mailto:hi@epr.net).