An independent research initiative that explores the human side of AI at work and advances human-centered organizational change.
We help organizations design ethical, people first approaches to AI adoption and change management.
The future of work is shaped by people, not technology. We prioritize empathy, transparency, and shared growth while pursuing practical results.
Founded by Eric P. Rhodes, Future of Work Lab studies how AI and automation affect worker experience, including stress, autonomy, surveillance, collaboration, and purpose. Current projects include archiving pilot data, expanding the survey to a larger sample, drafting working papers, and building an open data repository.
How does it actually feel to work with AI? We study how artificial intelligence is reshaping the employee experience, focusing on job stress, surveillance, collaboration, autonomy, and meaning.
Using two short but revealing scales (Task Level Experience Scale and Reflective Work Experience Inventory), the study captures the day-to-day realities and deeper reflections of workers navigating AI's rise.
Much of the existing research on AI in the workplace emphasizes productivity outcomes. This study centers on people. By surfacing how workers feel about AI, not just what they do, the goal is to support more ethical and human-centered design and policy choices.
We completed a pilot with 17 participants to test and refine our survey instrument. The two primary scales showed strong internal consistency (Task Level Experience Ξ± = .86; Reflective Work Experience Ξ± = .89). We recoded βNot Applicableβ responses as 0 to indicate no direct AI exposure, following participant feedback.
The findings now guide an expanded independent rollout (n β 300) planned for Q3 2025. A detailed Methods Note describing the survey design, pilot procedures, and analysis is available on the Open Science Framework, providing full transparency for the next phase of research.
The pilot sample (n = 17) revealed several exploratory patterns. All scales showed strong internal consistency, which adds confidence to these observations.
These findings are preliminary and not yet generalizable, but they directly inform the design of the expanded study.
Popular headlines frame AI as a universal disruptor, yet our pilot tells a different story. Several participants, particularly those in unionized or labor relations roles, said AI has not touched their day-to-day tasks at all. For them, AI feels distant rather than immediate.
This gap shows that AI adoption moves at different speeds across industries, job types, and employment protections. It reinforces the need for worker-centered research that captures the full range of lived experience with emerging technology.
Eric P. Rhodes is a researcher, designer, artist, and technologist exploring how emerging technologies reshape the human experience at work. His current independent study focuses on how artificial intelligence affects day-to-day employee wellbeing, including stress, meaning, collaboration, and autonomy.
With a background in organizational design, digital culture, and creative systems, Eric brings an interdisciplinary lens to every project. He is a Masterβs candidate in Labor and Industrial Relations at Rutgers University, where his academic work informed the foundation of this research.
This study is being conducted independently and adheres to established ethical guidelines for research with human participants. It was originally submitted for IRB review at Rutgers University but has since been withdrawn. The researcher has completed formal ethics training, including:
All participant data is de-identified and managed using open science and privacy best practices.
If you're interested in learning more about the research, collaborating on related projects, or simply want to connect, Eric welcomes inquiries from researchers, designers, and curious minds alike.