New Horizons of Science, Technology and Culture Vol. 11

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape of organisational life with a speed and breadth unprecedented in the history of technological change. This critical narrative review synthesises peer-reviewed evidence published between 2018 and 2026 to examine the multidimensional ways in which AI influences organisational work practices and culture. Drawing on 35 verified scholarly sources, the article investigates four interrelated domains: the transformation of task structures and labour processes through automation and augmentation; the emergence of algorithmic management and its implications for worker autonomy and organisational control; the cultural shifts accompanying AI adoption, including changes to trust, learning, and leadership; and the ethical tensions arising from AI's deployment in human resource management and decision-making. The review reveals that AI does not operate as a neutral technology; rather, its effects are profoundly contingent on organisational context, governance choices, and the degree to which employees are meaningfully involved in implementation. Whereas AI creates measurable productivity gains and enables novel forms of human–machine collaboration, evidence equally points to deepening workplace inequalities, surveillance risks, and the erosion of meaningful work for certain categories of employee. Critically, organisations that attend solely to technical deployment while neglecting cultural readiness and ethical governance consistently fail to realise the anticipated value of AI investment. The article concludes by outlining an agenda for future research, highlighting the need for longitudinal, contextually sensitive, and worker-centred scholarship to inform both management practice and public policy.