Australian Journal of Psychology

Thriving Under Disruption: Psychological Adaptation in the Age of Generative AI

The rapid adoption of generative AI (GenAI) and autonomous AI agents is reshaping the modern workplace, automating complex tasks, and introducing sweeping changes to how work is structured, delivered, and experienced. As highlighted in Deloitte’s Q4 2024 State of GenAI report, organizations face a transformative shift that brings not only innovation but also substantial psychological strain for employees and leaders. Increased uncertainty, skill obsolescence, and human-AI collaboration demands are emerging as potent stressors. In this context, understanding and strengthening psychological capacities becomes critical. Constructs such as resilience (recovering from disruption), robustness (withstanding change), and antifragility (growing stronger through adversity) offer valuable frameworks for navigating this AI-driven upheaval. This Article Collection invites research exploring how individuals and organizations adapt to technologically induced stress and uncertainty—advancing our understanding of the psychological tools necessary not just to endure disruption, but to transform and thrive within it.

As GenAI reshapes the structure and pace of work, understanding how individuals and organizations psychologically respond becomes not just relevant, but essential. The pressures of AI integration, from job insecurity to cognitive overload and human-machine coordination, heighten stress and require dynamic adaptation. Yet research on how adaptive psychological capacities such as resilience, robustness, and antifragility function under these emerging conditions remains limited. Clarifying these constructs—and how they buffer stress or enable growth—is critical for guiding effective organizational responses, leadership practices, and employee development. Moreover, the relevance of these psychological tools spans physical, hybrid, and virtual work environments, each presenting distinct opportunities and challenges in AI-augmented contexts.

This need is especially urgent given rising global stress levels: Gallup (2023) reports that 44% of employees experience daily stress, with even higher rates in East Asia (55%) and North America (50%). The American Psychological Association (2023) similarly highlights the lasting effects of collective trauma from the pandemic, economic instability, and global conflict. In such a climate, the introduction of GenAI as yet another potential source of disruption and anxiety underscores the critical need for psychological frameworks that not only restore balance but foster lasting strength, adaptability, and growth.

We invite theoretical and empirical contributions that explore how individuals, teams, and organizations psychologically adapt to the accelerating challenges introduced by GenAI and other emerging technologies. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

• Antecedents and outcomes of adaptive psychological capacities in AI-integrated work settings
• The impact of GenAI on stress, coping, well-being, identity, and employee performance
• Potential moderators and mediators that can influence how adaptive capacities operate in AI-augmented contexts
• Comparative analyses of psychological responses across physical, hybrid, and virtual environments
• Interventions, training programs, leadership approaches, and policy supports that foster adaptive capacity
• Theoretical and mechanistic investigations grounded in frameworks such as Conservation of Resources Theory, Job Demands–Resources Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Broaden-and-Build Theory

We encourage diverse methodological approaches, including quantitative analyses, qualitative studies, mixed-methods designs, systematic literature reviews, longitudinal research, and experimental interventions that can contribute novel insights and practical implications for managing psychological adaptation in an AI-driven world.

Please contact Dr. MK Huffman at mary.huffman@taylorandfrancis.com with any queries about discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Dr. Abdulah M. Bajaba is an Assistant Professor of Management at Colorado Mesa University. His research lies at the intersection of organizational behavior and psychology, with a focus on antifragility, resilience, leadership, and employee well-being. His work has been published in journals such as Personality and Individual Differences, Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, and Journal of Organizational Effectiveness, and presented at leading conferences including the Academy of Management and the Southern Management Association. Dr. Bajaba’s scholarship seeks to better understand how individuals and organizations adapt, thrive, and grow stronger in the face of adversity.

Dr. Saleh Bajaba is an Associate Professor of Management at King Abdulaziz University with 15+ years of experience in education, research, and organizational development across macro, micro, and global levels. His research centers on organizational behavior, with a particular interest in leadership, proactive personality, and antifragility. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals including Applied Psychology: An International Review and Personality and Individual Differences. His work has been presented at major academic conferences such as the Academy of Management and the Southern Management Association. Dr. Bajaba also serves on editorial boards and contributes as an Associate Editor for journals in management and psychology.

Dr. Murad Ali serves as an Assistant Professor at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, UK. His main research interest is in the advancement of research methods to further the understanding of green human resource management, knowledge management, innovation, and sustainability. His approach is quite interdisciplinary and has been published in top-tier journals recognized by academic rankings (FT50, CNRS, CABS4). Dr. Ali has published more than 40 articles in leading Q1 journals, with his work appearing in esteemed outlets such as the Human Resource Management Journal, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Knowledge Management. He is an active participant in prominent international conferences, including the Academy of Management, the British Academy of Management, INEKA, GLOBELICS, and EGOS. In recognition of his scholarly excellence, Dr. Ali has received multiple best paper awards and accolades at major academic forums worldwide. He has been an editorial board member of the Journal of Business Research.

The Guest Advisors declare no conflict of interest regarding this work.