Abstract
Digitalisation and, increasingly, artificial intelligence adoption are transforming workplaces and increasing psychosocial risks that current occupational safety and health (OSH) systems only partially address. We propose a multilevel model that redefines burnout from an individual issue to a systemic hazard, shifting the emphasis from HR practices to system safety.
Combining the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) theoretical framework, academic research and survey evidence, we highlight how features of the digital/AI workplace (algorithmic management, constant connectivity, biometric monitoring, flexibility, digital metrics over human judgment) create a double feedback loop of reactivity (incidents → tighter monitoring → higher demands) and silencing (burnout → under-reporting), which might cause systemic failure.
We propose three ideas that position techno-burnout as a key factor in socio-technical reliability, and argue that recognising techno-burnout as a systemic safety risk can shape the governance discourse by examining its implications and suggesting its inclusion in national AI legislation.