ai:conomicsClosed
The implementation of intelligent technologies in companies is changing our working world. Artificial intelligence (AI) changes our tasks, work outcomes, and our collaboration, among other things. These changes are already happening. The multidisciplinary ai:conomics programme aims to expand the common knowledge about the impact of AI on work and workers. It intends to build a new scientific foundation to reshape the future of work and the use of AI with a positive social impact.
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Project Consortium: The international consortium consists of three Partners
- Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA | Maastricht University)
Marie-Christine Fregin, Raymond Montizaan, Didier Fouarge, Mark Levels, Rolf van der Velden, Andries de Grip, Sanne Steens, Pelin Özgül, Nicholas Rounding, Evie Graus, Lara Fleck, Marie Fischer - Institut für Berufs- und Arbeitsmarktforschung (IAB https://www.iab.de/en/iab-aktuell.aspx)
Simon Janssen, Michael Stops, Marie-Christine Laible - Zukunft zwei GmbH (https://zukunft-zwei.de/)
Frederike Bornträger, Carolin Silbernagl, Moritz Eckert, Jens Lange, Luisa Tegtmeyer
Subsidized by: German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS https://www.bmas.de/EN/Home/home.html) by resolution of the German Bundestag
Detailed project website: https://www.aiconomics.eu/en
Twitter: @ai_conomicsDuration: 2021 – 2024
Among others, ai:conomics strives to understand the actual consequences of AI on workers and their jobs by finding answers to questions such as:
- How does AI change the tasks and skills profiles of occupations?
- How does AI influence worker productivity and performance in a variety of different occupations?
- How do employees perceive the use of AI and how to they react to its implementation, e.g., regarding their wellbeing?
- What are the effects of AI diffusion on economic sectors and the labor market?
To achieve this, ai:conomics is conducting controlled field studies with different AI applications in three large corporations in Germany and measures the direct impact of AI implementation on work characteristics, employees, and skill profiles as well as key performance indicators. To examine the extent of generalizability in a second step, the individual and firm-level results will be related to developments in the German labor market.
Ai:conomics’ unique character is defined by the co-creative process that allows the project to be shaped by transdisciplinary work between researchers, employers, employees, technology-experts, works councils and policy makers. Together with many different players, the ai:conomics team aims to create new insights and shares the acquired knowledge with all stakeholders and the expert public to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from the empirical evidence on the use of AI in the working world.
Recent publications
Silbernagl, C. (2025). KI-Innovationen gestalten – entlang des Weges lernen: Empfehlungen aus dem ko-kreativen Forschungsprojekt ai:conomics. ROA External Reports Vol. 09b ai:conomics Policy Brief March 2025
Fregin, M.-C., Rounding, N., van der Velden, R., Levels, M., Özgül, P., & Steens, S. (2025). Experiences with experimental research Lessons from a co-creative research project on AI effects in companies. ROA External Reports Vol. 09a ai:conomics Policy Brief March 2025
Eijkenboom, D., Dijksman, S., & Steens, S. (2024). How Do Employees Perceive AI’s Role in Performance Evaluation and Skill Gap Identification? ROA External Reports Vol. 008 ai:conomics Policy Brief October 2024
Fleck, L., Fregin, M.-C., & Steens, S. (2024). Measuring the Effects of AI in the Workplace: Co-Creating a Research Approach with Companies. ROA External Reports Vol. 007 ai:conomics Policy Brief October 2024
Erbacher, K., Silbernagl, C., & Schäfer, K. (2024). Co-creation in Business Practice: Implementing AI together at Eye-Level. ROA external Reports Vol. 006 ai:conomics Policy Brief October 2024
ai:conomics research journey
- Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA | Maastricht University)