The Effect of Social Media Reliance on the Perception of AI Threats in the Workplace

Abstract—Social media dependency has become a significant factor influencing individuals' perceptions of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. Information about AI circulating on social media can shape perceptions of threats, such as fears of job displacement, skill redundancy, and loss of control in decision-making. This study aims to analyze the relationship between social media dependency and perceived AI threats in the workplace. Data were collected through an online survey in January 2025, involving 403 respondents from various industry sectors in Indonesia. After data cleaning, 255 valid responses were used for analysis. A purposive sampling technique was applied to ensure participation from employees with AI exposure. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships between variables. The findings indicate that higher social media dependency is associated with greater perceived AI threats, particularly regarding the perceived unfairness of AI implementation and concerns over skill obsolescence. These results suggest that companies need more transparent communication strategies when implementing AI to reduce employee anxiety and foster a smoother technological adaptation process.摘要：社交媒体依赖已成为影响个体对技术认知的重要因素，其中包括职场中的人工智能 (Artificial Intelligence，AI)。在社交媒体上传播的人工智能相关信息，会塑造个体对相关威胁的认知，例如对岗位替代、技能冗余以及决策控制权丧失的担忧。本研究旨在分析社交媒体依赖与职场中感知到的人工智能威胁之间的关联。本研究于2025年1月通过线上问卷调查收集数据，共纳入来自印度尼西亚多个行业的403名受访者。经数据清洗后，最终保留255份有效问卷用于分析。本研究采用目的性抽样 (Purposive Sampling) 法，确保受访对象为接触过人工智能的在职员工。本研究采用结构方程模型 (Structural Equation Modeling，SEM) 检验各变量间的关联。研究结果显示，社交媒体依赖程度越高，个体感知到的职场人工智能威胁越强，尤其体现在对人工智能部署不公平性的感知以及对技能过时的担忧。上述结果表明，企业在部署人工智能时，需采用更为透明的沟通策略，以降低员工的焦虑情绪，助力其更顺畅地完成技术适应过程。