Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace is rapidly shifting from a passive decision-support tool to an active workplace collaborator. McKinsey’s Technology Trends Outlook 2025 describes AI agents as “virtual coworkers” that can autonomously perform multistep workflows, signaling a major shift in how employees may work with AI systems (Yee et al., 2025). Despite growing organizational interest, limited research explains how employees interpret the role of these AI coworkers, compare themselves to them, and form expectations about their obligations. Drawing on Role Theory, Social Comparison Theory, and Psychological Contract Theory, this study develops a conceptual model of employee perceptions towards agentic AI coworkers. The model proposes that perceived AI competence, autonomy, personalization, and social presence shape employees’ role clarity, role ambiguity, upward social comparison, competence threat, and AI-enabled inspiration. These appraisals influence psychological contract expectations, fulfillment, and breach, which subsequently affect trust, collaboration intention, resistance, and continuance intention. This study extends AI adoption research by explaining how employees may respond differently when they perceive AI as a teammate, assistant, evaluator, or potential replacement, rather than merely a tool. This study provides key insights to organizations implementing agentic AI, particularly regarding the need to clarify AI roles, manage employee expectations, reduce competence threat, and design AI systems that support cohesion in the workplace.

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