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Artificial intelligence presents 14 categories of potential occupational safety and health hazards for workersWorkers Face 14 Different Safety Risks from Artificial Intelligence

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Key Takeaway
Recognize 14 categories of occupational safety and health hazards associated with workplace artificial intelligence.

This scoping review synthesized 216 eligible studies to identify potential occupational safety and health (OSH) hazards related to artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. The review aimed to categorize these risks and identify corresponding control approaches for workers exposed to AI technologies.

The authors identified 14 categories of potential hazards to workers. These categories include risks such as physical trauma, dehumanization, threats to human agency, and the deterioration of skills due to AI dependence. Other identified risks include increased stress, work-life imbalance, and potential exacerbation of OSH inequities. The review also notes risks regarding the psychological contract, worker engagement, and trust, as well as threats of job loss and underpaid work.

Additional hazards identified include cyberphysical attacks, inappropriate monitoring, and the consequences of worker cognitive and physical augmentation. The review serves as a foundational appraisal of AI-related OSH hazards and control measures. While the review provides a comprehensive overview of these risks, the specific evidence for each hazard category is not quantified in this synthesis. The findings are intended to inform future research and the development of workplace safety practices.

A scoping review examined 216 different studies to identify potential safety and health risks for workers who interact with artificial intelligence (AI). The researchers looked at how these technologies impact the workplace environment and the people working within it.

The review identified 14 specific categories of hazards. These categories include issues like workplace monitoring, the impact of automated systems on worker skills, and the ways AI might change the relationship between workers and their jobs. The goal was to create a foundation for better safety practices and future research.

Because this is a scoping review, the findings are used to map out the current landscape of research rather than proving a direct cause of harm. The results provide a broad overview of potential risks. Workers and managers can use this information to start discussions about safety and the role of AI in their specific roles.

What this means for you:
A review of 216 studies identified 14 categories of potential safety and health risks for workers using AI.

Common questions

What kind of risks does AI pose to workers?

The review identified 14 different categories of potential safety and health hazards. These include issues like worker monitoring, the impact of AI on worker skills, and changes to the workplace environment. The study aimed to provide a foundation for understanding how these technologies affect workers.

How many studies were included in this review?

The scoping review included 216 eligible studies. These were analyzed to identify and categorize the various ways artificial intelligence can impact occupational safety and health in the workplace.

Is this study a clinical trial for AI safety?

No, this was a scoping review, not a clinical trial. It is a broad overview of existing research to map out potential hazards. It is intended to provide a foundation for future research and practice rather than providing specific medical or safety advice.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedNov 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers substantial societal benefits, but it also can pose significant hazards to workers. A scoping literature review was conducted to identify materials published from 2010 to 2025 and indicative of artificial intelligence (AI) hazards to workers. The aim was to answer two research questions: What are the potential occupational safety and health hazards associated with exposure to AI? and What are the approaches that have been proposed to control these hazards in the workplace? Eight databases and grey literature were searched. These yielded 25,925 studies, which after screening resulted in 622 studies for full text review. Of these, 216 were eligible for data extraction. These studies substantiated 14 categories of potential hazards to workers from AI. These categories included: threats of physical trauma; dehumanization of workers; threats to human agency, autonomy, and workers’ voice; loss of human and workplace connection; threats to sense of self and identity; threats of increased stress, fatigue, and work-life imbalance from work intensification; dependence on AI, leading to deterioration of skills; potential exacerbation of OSH inequities in the workplace; threats of weakening the psychological contract, worker engagement, and trust; threats of job loss, unemployment, disruption of labor market, and reduced economic mobility; threats of underpaid, precarious, and hidden work; threats of cyberphysical attacks and bullying; inappropriate worker monitoring, surveillance, management, and selection; and threats of adverse consequences of worker cognitive and physical augmentation and enhancement. Control approaches also were identified for each hazard category. This study provides a comprehensive appraisal of AI-related potential OSH hazards and controls and offers a foundation for future research and practice.
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