When the Machines Watch Back: Surveillance, Stress, and the Fractured Team

AI systems don’t just change how we work—they change how we feel at work.

Particularly in the case of agentic AI, which autonomously makes decisions, learns from our inputs, and modifies our workflow.

While intended to increase efficiency, it often generates new psychosocial risks:

The feeling of constant surveillance
Disruption of human routines and peer interactions
And increasing cognitive load from adapting to “always-on” tools

Surveys confirm this. Workers using AI agents say they face trust, stress, and transparency concerns, even if they appreciate the efficiency gains.

Psychologically, this erodes trust and destabilises the team emotional atmosphere—what I often call “the soundtrack of the workplace”.

Left unchecked, this results in:
Resentment,
Withdrawal, and
Internalised feelings of redundancy or irrelevance

Equity is another concern. Tools trained on biased data often disproportionately affect underrepresented team members (ESL team members, neurodivergence etc). This compounds psychological harm and undermines inclusion efforts.

As leaders, we must treat AI deployment like any other transformation - with full emotional intelligence. That includes:

Psychological safety conversations
Clarity of expectations
Training, not just on software but on wellbeing

My experience working with high-performing teams in high-pressure environments shows that teams don't burn out because of change, but because they weren’t supported through it.

Want to future-proof your team’s performance and mental health during AI integration?  Let's talk.  Please reach out for an obligation-free conversation.