The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the workplace has raised concerns among employees regarding job security and career development, while also influencing their behavior. In response to this issue, this study employed a questionnaire-based approach grounded in general strain theory to investigate the mechanisms through which the risk of job substitution by AI affects employee deviant behavior. The findings indicate that the risk of job substitution by AI positively influences both interpersonal deviant behavior and organizational deviant behavior among employees. Furthermore, digital transformation stress serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between them. Digital self-efficacy can alleviate the adverse effects of digital transformation stress on deviant behaviors. This research elucidates the mechanisms underlying how the risk of job substitution by AI impacts employee deviant behavior, thereby enriching existing literature on new technologies’ influence on employee conduct while providing valuable insights for organizations to implement AI responsibly.
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