‘AI BRAIN FRY’ AND TECHNOSTRESS: MODELING PROFESSIONAL WELL-BEING IN MALAYSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7si4.1586Keywords:
artificial intelligence, technostress, burnout, professional well-being, academic staff, higher educationAbstract
Professional well-being refers to employees’ overall mental, physical, and psychological fulfilment at work. This conceptual paper examines how technology overload and the rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) may threaten the professional well-being of academic staff in Malaysian higher education. Drawing on the Demands-Resources-Individual-Effects (DRIVE) model, the paper develops three propositions linking technostress, burnout, and professional well-being. It proposes that technostress increases burnout, burnout reduces professional well-being, and burnout mediates the relationship between technostress and professional well-being. The paper highlights how continuous adaptation to AI-enabled systems, digital multitasking, and growing technological demands may intensify cognitive and emotional strain among educators. These challenges call for coordinated action by the Ministry of Higher Education, MOSTI, university administrators, and educators. Such collaboration is essential to support responsible AI adoption, strengthen institutional resources, and build a resilient academic environment without compromising educators’ health, effectiveness, and long-term professional sustainability amid accelerating digital transformation in academia.
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