Coping with AI threats to skills/expertise: Why and when do older employees resist or not resist AI-induced change?

Because of facing dual threats of aging and AI substitution for traditional work, older employees may resist AI-induced change. However, there is little evidence on how to eliminate their resistance. Based on stress and coping theory and cognitive load theory, this paper constructs a theoretical model to understand what may stimulate older employees’ resistance to AI-induced change and under what conditions this stimulation mechanism will be weakened. Data from 220 time-lagged samples were analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0, and the research hypotheses were tested. The results show that older employees’ perceived processing speed difficulties can increase their resistance to AI-induced change by stimulating their perceived AI threats to their skills/expertise. The indirect positive relationship between older employees' perceived processing speed difficulties and resistance to AI-induced change via the mediation of loss of skills/expertise is weaker at a lower level of age-inclusive HR practices and a higher level of senior leadership support for AI-induced change. The above effect is stronger for older employees who have more perceived control over the AI event. The findings provide implications for organizations to build an age-inclusive digital workplace that enables older employees to adapt to AI-induced change successfully.