AI, Digitalisation, and the Wellbeing of Academics: Navigating Opportunities and Challenges in the Age of Automation

About the Project

The increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies is reshaping academic research workflows, fundamentally altering how academics teach, research, collaborate, and manage their careers. While AI enhances efficiency, accessibility, and decision-making, it also introduces new challenges, including cognitive overload, job insecurity, ethical concerns, and increased isolation (Paul et al., 2024; van den Broek et al., 2021).

Recent studies highlight significant mental health challenges among academic researchers, driven by job demands, loneliness, and caregiving responsibilities (Ueno et al., 2024). However, little is known about how AI-driven digitalisation interacts with these existing stressors, potentially exacerbating mental strain or, conversely, alleviating some burdens through automation and enhanced support systems. Moreover, digital transformation is fundamentally altering workplace structures across sectors, requiring organisations to rethink wellbeing strategies in AI-driven environments (Paul et al., 2024).

This PhD project explores the dual impact of AI and digitalisation on academics, focusing on both positive enablers (e.g., improved productivity, creative potential) and negative stressors (e.g., digital fatigue, workload intensification, loss of autonomy). Drawing on frameworks such as the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017), the study will investigate how AI-driven changes influence academics' wellbeing.

The project aims to answer the following research questions:

• How does AI adoption influence the mental wellbeing of academics?
• What are the key AI-driven job demands (e.g., workload, job insecurity) and job resources (e.g., efficiency, creativity) in academia?
• How do academics at different career stages experience AI-driven changes?
• What institutional strategies can support academics’ wellbeing in an AI-driven work environment?

Given the rapid digital transformation in higher education, this research aligns strongly with the interests of higher education institutions, AI ethics organisations, and mental health foundations. Additionally, its findings could benefit other AI-intensive professions, ensuring a more balanced and human-cantered approach to AI integration across knowledge-driven sectors.

How to apply

Formal applications can be submitted via the University of Bradford web site; applicants will need to register an account, select 'Postgraduate Research' as the course and then use the keyword 'business'. Applicants should then specify the project title in the 'Research Proposal' section.

Funding Notes

This is a self-funded PhD project; applicants will be expected to pay their own fees or have a suitable source of third-party funding. UK students may be able to apply for a Doctoral Loan from Student Finance for financial support.