AI and digitalization associate with psychosocial risks and uneven impacts on adult workers in occupational environments

BackgroundThe rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and work digitalization is transforming occupational environments, introducing new psychosocial risks while also creating potential opportunities for improving workplace well-being. However, current evidence remains fragmented and heterogeneous.ObjectiveThis scoping review aimed to map and synthesize the existing scientific and grey literature on the impact of AI and work digitalization on mental health, well-being, and psychosocial risks among adult workers.MethodsA scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O’Malley framework and reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search was performed across multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scielo, LILACS, Dialnet, and Google Scholar) and grey literature sources from international occupational health organizations. Studies published between 2016 and 2026 in English and Spanish were included. A total of 43 sources (23 scientific articles and 20 grey literature documents) were analyzed using thematic synthesis. The review explicitly distinguishes between AI-specific occupational exposures and broader digitalization processes to improve conceptual clarity.ResultsAI and digitalization were consistently associated with multiple psychosocial risks, including technostress, work intensification, job insecurity, reduced autonomy, and blurred work–life boundaries. Algorithmic management and digital monitoring emerged as key drivers of stress, anxiety, and burnout. However, potential benefits were also identified, such as increased efficiency, flexibility, and professional development, particularly when supported by adequate training and organizational resources. The impact of digitalization was context-dependent and unevenly distributed, disproportionately affecting older workers, lower-skilled employees, and vulnerable groups. Digital and AI literacy emerged as key protective factors.ConclusionAI and work digitalization represent complex and context-dependent determinants of occupational mental health, with both risks and opportunities depending on organizational, technological, and individual factors. These findings highlight the need for human-centered implementation strategies, strengthened regulatory frameworks, and targeted preventive interventions to mitigate psychosocial risks in digitalized work environments. Given the heterogeneity of the available evidence, findings should be interpreted as exploratory.