Can AI Save Us from Burnout? Exploring Developer and QA Engineer Well-being

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a major advancement in various industries including the software development industry. While AI improves efficiency and automation in the software industry, it also poses challenges among QA professionals and developers. However, a gap exists in studying the impact of AI on the well-being of developers and QA professionals within the development industry. This paper aims to investigate the impact of AI on QA and development processes, as well as the challenges it presents, by considering the psychological effects of AI adoption on the well-being and work processes of QA specialists and developers, using burnout theory and McDonaldization theory as analytical frameworks; in addition, to investigating the role of organizational support with the emergence of AI. Our research revealed benefits of AI tools in terms of efficiency, speeding development and QA processes. However, several challenges have been presented by AI, including context misinterpretation, validation workload, and reducing human collaboration which can result in stress and pressure leading to burnout. Additionally, insufficient organizational support and training increases stress and exhaustion. Finally, The adoption of AI is further complicated by ethical considerations, budgetary limitations, and data privacy difficulties.