Emotional AI in the Workplace: Systematic Review of Effects on Employee Well-Being, Productivity, and Organizational Performance

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61467/2007.1558.2026.v17i3.1398

Keywords:

Emotional Artificial Intelligence, Affective Computing, Employee Well-Being, Organizational Productivity, Workplace Analytics, Human–AI Interaction, Algorithmic Bias and Ethics, Digital Transformation in Organizations, Inteligencia artificial emocional, informática afectiva, bienestar de los empleados, productividad organizacional, interacción entre humanos e IA, sesgos algorítmicos y ética, transformación digital en las organizaciones

Abstract

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and affective computing technologies into organisational environments is transforming workplace dynamics. However, their impact on employee well-being and productivity remains fragmented and insufficiently synthesised. This study addresses this research gap through a systematic review of AI-powered emotional intelligence systems. It focuses on their effects across three core dimensions: employee attitudes (job satisfaction, motivation, adaptability), workplace behaviours (performance, creativity, technology adoption), and organisational dynamics (leadership, trust, team cohesion). Following the PRISMA framework, this study conducts a systematic evaluation and comparative analysis of the state-of-the-art literature. It identifies key patterns, methodological trends, and underexplored areas. The findings suggest that emotional AI systems may enhance employee engagement and organisational productivity when implemented within ethically grounded and transparent frameworks. However, the review also highlights critical challenges related to privacy, emotional surveillance, algorithmic bias, and employee trust. This study contributes a structured framework that clarifies the role of emotional AI in organisational contexts and outlines actionable, scalable strategies for real-world application. By consolidating dispersed evidence and proposing directions for future research, this study is intended to provide a benchmark for subsequent investigations into AI-driven emotional intelligence and its implications for sustainable, human-centred workplaces.

 

Spanish-language metadata / Metadatos en español

Título en español:

La IA emocional en el lugar de trabajo: revisión sistemática de sus efectos sobre el bienestar de los empleados, la productividad y el desempeño organizacional


Resumen:

La rápida integración de la inteligencia artificial (IA) y las tecnologías de computación afectiva en los entornos organizacionales está transformando la dinámica del lugar de trabajo. Sin embargo, su impacto en el bienestar y la productividad de los empleados sigue siendo fragmentado y no se ha sintetizado lo suficiente. Este estudio aborda esta laguna de investigación mediante una revisión sistemática de los sistemas de inteligencia emocional basados en la IA. Se centra en sus efectos en tres dimensiones fundamentales: las actitudes de los empleados (satisfacción laboral, motivación, adaptabilidad), los comportamientos en el lugar de trabajo (rendimiento, creatividad, adopción de tecnología) y la dinámica organizacional (liderazgo, confianza, cohesión del equipo). Siguiendo el marco PRISMA, este estudio lleva a cabo una evaluación sistemática y un análisis comparativo de la literatura más reciente. Identifica patrones clave, tendencias metodológicas y áreas poco exploradas. Los resultados sugieren que los sistemas de IA emocional pueden mejorar el compromiso de los empleados y la productividad de la organización cuando se implementan dentro de marcos éticos y transparentes. Sin embargo, el análisis también pone de relieve retos fundamentales relacionados con la privacidad, la vigilancia emocional, el sesgo algorítmico y la confianza de los empleados. Este estudio aporta un marco estructurado que aclara el papel de la IA emocional en los contextos organizacionales y esboza estrategias viables y escalables para su aplicación en la vida real. Al consolidar la evidencia dispersa y proponer orientaciones para futuras investigaciones, este estudio pretende servir de referencia para estudios posteriores sobre la inteligencia emocional impulsada por la IA y sus implicaciones para lugares de trabajo sostenibles y centrados en las personas.

 

Palabras Claves:

Inteligencia artificial emocional, informática afectiva, bienestar de los empleados, productividad organizacional, análisis del lugar de trabajo, interacción entre humanos e IA, sesgos algorítmicos y ética, transformación digital en las organizaciones

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Published

2026-06-12

How to Cite

Ruiz-Vanoye, J. A., Aguilar-Ortiz, J., Diaz-Parra, O., Barrera-Cámara, R. A., Fuentes-Penna, A., Ruiz-Jaimes, M. Á., Toledo-Navarro, Y., Vera-Jiménez, M. A., Ortiz-Montes, A., & Valdez-Acosta, M. T. (2026). Emotional AI in the Workplace: Systematic Review of Effects on Employee Well-Being, Productivity, and Organizational Performance. International Journal of Combinatorial Optimization Problems and Informatics, 17(3), 146–165. https://doi.org/10.61467/2007.1558.2026.v17i3.1398

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