Li, T; Zhai, H; Wu, W; Deng, J and Wang, F (2026) How AI adoption shapes construction workers' extra-role safety behavior: The mediating roles of responsibility and relational energy. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 152(1): 04025219, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within the construction industry has not only enhanced safety measures but also increased protection and efficiency for workers. However, viewing AI as "co-workers"rather than simply tools poses fresh challenges to maintaining safe behaviors among workers. This study uses the diffusion of responsibility theory and attribution theory to develop a model that examines the responses of workers when AI is integrated into their work tasks. We hypothesize that higher levels of AI adoption may diminish workers' sense of safety responsibility and weaken relational energy, which, in turn, adversely affects their extra-role safety behaviors. Using a mixed-methods approach, which blends field studies with experimental design, we collected 425 data sets from a major smart construction site in China. Our analysis in a human-AI collaborative setting revealed significant serial indirect effects of AI adoption on extra-role safety behavior, mediated by changes in safety responsibility and relational energy. Additionally, we found that perceived AI usefulness and worker adaptability enhance these effects. These findings contribute to the literature on AI and safety behavior by identifying sense of responsibility and relational energy as critical psychological mechanisms that link AI adoption to behavioral outcomes. By leveraging diffusion of the responsibility theory and attribution theory, this study elucidates the psychological responses of workers to AI integration, thus enriching theoretical perspectives. Additionally, it provides practical recommendations for managing AI implementations in ways that maintain essential safety standards and promote effective human-AI collaboration in the construction sector.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | artificial intelligence; attribution theory; diffusion of responsibility theory; extra-role safety behavior; relational energy; sense of safety responsibility |
| Index terms: | safety measures, efficiency, safety behaviour, attribution theory, experimental design, artificial intelligence, construction industry, implementation, construction worker, field study, construction site, adaptability, indirect effect, integration, collaboration, China, safety standards, construction sector |
| Subjects: | research design and methodology, artificial intelligence, work location, management, performance management, industry analysis, organizational analysis, occupational health and safety management, practitioner, user focus, contractual arrangements, analytical methods, Geography, health safety and environment, research methods, behavioral psychology |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Digital Applications, Design Practice, Organizational Design, Site Management, Health and Safety, Geographical Context, Procurement, Quality Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here