The Algorithmic Apprentice: Navigating Psychological Ownership and Generative AI in Early-Career Transitions

The transition from formal education to the professional workforce represents a period of profound psychological vulnerability and identity formation. Currently, the rapid integration of Generative AI (GenAI) has fundamentally altered the baseline demands and efficiency expectations placed on early-career employees. This working paper synthesizes emerging empirical evidence to examine the complex relationship between GenAI usage frequency and the construct of psychological ownership during the critical first 12 months of employment. Although frequent GenAI collaboration demonstrably enhances immediate task performance and facilitates knowledge transfer, it simultaneously introduces a dilution effect that threatens the employee’s intrinsic motivation, perceived control, and sense of authentic authorship. By exploring the behavioural responses to this tension, particularly proactive job crafting and the moderating role of organizational listening, this paper outlines the precarious balance between algorithmic efficiency and human-centric workplace well-being. Finally, We aim to identify critical gaps in longitudinal methodologies, calling for sustained developmental research into human-AI co-authorship.