How human–AI collaboration impacts job crafting: the moderating role of perceived work ability

Purpose – Human–AI collaboration (HAI-C) requires employees to craft their jobs which can assist them in working with AI effectively and productively. Drawing on the event system theory, this study explores the nuanced effects of HAI-C event strength (i.e. novelty, disruption, and criticality) on job crafting, as well as the moderating role of perceived HAI-C work ability. Design/methodology/approach – We conducted a three-wave lagged survey in China (N = 350) to explore our conceptual model. Findings – The results reveal that HAI-C event strength positively influences promotion-oriented job crafting, while only HAI-C event disruption has a positive relation with prevention-oriented job crafting. Moreover, perceived HAI-C work ability is a crucial factor that attenuates the impact of HAI-C event disruption on prevention-oriented job crafting. When employees have a higher perception of their work ability with AI, the association between HAI-C event disruption and prevention-oriented job crafting weakens. Originality/value – This study represents one of the pioneering empirical investigations into the influence of HAI-C on job crafting, adopting an event strength perspective. Furthermore, it offers timely recommendations for managers and organizations to facilitate effective collaboration between employees and AI systems.