ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Organizational Psychology
This article is part of the Research TopicAI-Human Co-Evolution: Feedback Loop Design, Organizational Innovation, Ethical Considerations, and Workforce DynamicsView all 3 articles
Empowering Workforces in AI-Driven Environments: Co-Skilling, Organizational Support, and Mitigating Job Insecurity
Provisionally accepted
- 1Zhuhai College of Science and Technology, Zhuhai, China
- 2Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan, China
- 3National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
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The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed workplaces, creating opportunities for innovation but also heightening job insecurity (JIN) among employees. This study examines the impact of Co-Skilling dimensions— participation, engagement, peer collaboration, and learning effectiveness (LE)— on mitigating JIN through perceived organizational support (POS), mental well-being (MEW), and skill confidence (SC). Using the Social Learning Theory (SLR) and the JD-R model as theoretical underpinnings, the research highlights the moderating role of employee readiness (ER) for AI in shaping these dynamics. A cross-sectional quantitative design with stratified random sampling was employed, involving 437 responses from employees across manufacturing, healthcare, technology, banking, and retail industries in China. Results demonstrate the significant mediating effects of POS, MEW, and SC, with POS emerging as a critical buffer against insecurity. However, nonsignificant findings in certain SC-related pathways and moderation effects of ER underscore the complexity of addressing JIN in technologically dynamic environments. This study contributes to theory by expanding the applications of SLR and the JD-R model and offers practical implications for organizations to design tailored Co-Skilling initiatives. Future research should explore additional contextual and psychological factors to enhance workforce adaptability in AI-integrated workplaces.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, Co-Skilling, Employee Readiness for AI, Job Insecurity, Mental well-being, perceived organizational support, Skill Confidence
Received: 06 Sep 2025; Accepted: 04 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Liu, Yan and NA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yujie Zhang
MENG NA
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