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Stanford HAI launches lab to study AI's effects on workplace and organizational performance
Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered AI has launched a lab to study how AI actually affects jobs, teams, and productivity through real-world company deployments. Most existing workplace AI research relies on small or speculative studies.
Stanford launches lab to study how AI actually changes workplace dynamics
Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered AI announced the AI and Organizations Lab, a new research center designed to measure how AI affects jobs, team coordination, and organizational performance. The lab will conduct empirical research on AI deployments already underway across companies.
Melissa Valentine, the lab's director and associate professor of management science and engineering at Stanford, said the timing is critical. "AI is being deployed across organizations at unprecedented speed, yet we have limited empirical understanding of its actual effects on how people work together," Valentine said.
The research will examine whether AI implementations enhance or diminish human capabilities. Sara Singer, one of four core faculty members leading the lab, said the findings will directly inform organizational decisions. "The lab will generate research grounded in real-world practice," Singer said. Singer is a professor of health policy and medicine at Stanford School of Medicine.
Most current knowledge about AI in the workplace comes from speculation or small-scale studies. This lab will instead study actual deployments to understand concrete impacts on worker productivity, collaboration, and job design.
The research has implications for professionals managing AI adoption. For those involved in AI for Management, understanding how teams actually respond to AI tools matters more than vendor claims. The lab's findings will provide evidence-based guidance for implementation decisions.
Those interested in the research side can explore AI Research Courses to build skills in studying AI's organizational effects.