Tech for social good: Artificial intelligence and workplace safety

Abstract

The impact of artificial intelligence on the interests of corporate shareholders has been widely explored, but how it affects the interests of employees, particularly their workplace safety, has not yet been explored properly. This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence on workplace safety by applying Heinrich's domino theory. Using empirical data from listed companies in China from 2011--2022, we find that artificial intelligence will improve workplace safety. We attribute this to the fact that artificial intelligence reduces employees' unsafe behavior and suppresses the unsafe state of objects, which in turn promotes workplace safety. In addition, we find that military CEOs enhance the relationship, but foreign shareholders have no effect on it. Further tests show that the role of artificial intelligence in improving workplace safety is more pronounced in SOEs and firms that disclose corporate social responsibility (CSR). By incorporating Heinrich's domino theory, we provide new insights into the literature on artificial intelligence and workplace safety and new insights for governments and firms to improve workplace safety.