Anand Van Zelderen: Crediting AI in Virtual Reality: Are Human-Like Machines More Deserving of Recognition?

Organizations are rushing to integrate AI into everyday work, yet we still don’t know who really deserves credit for AI-assisted performance—the human, or the machine. To tackle this question, we used virtual reality simulations and human-like AI assistants to study how employees share credit with their synthetic co-workers. Across studies, we found that giving AI credit for its help actually restores employees’ job satisfaction, but it also reveals a troubling bias: female-voiced AI assistants are “paid” less than their male counterparts, mirroring the real-world gender pay gap. The presentation will conclude with practical guidance on how to integrate AI responsibly, reflect on the next steps as autonomous AI agents begin to take a more active role in organizational life, and provide you with the opportunity to adopt these cutting-edge technological tools for your own research purposes.
 

Anand van Zelderen is an Assistant Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Business at SKEMA Business School. His research examines the socio-emotional costs that surface when employees interact with autonomous AI agents. A pioneer in experimental management research, he is among the first to develop synthetic field studies, an approach that integrates AI and Virtual Reality to create lifelike organizational simulations that capture real behaviors while preserving experimental control. To democratize access to these tools, he founded the Openverse Open Science Initiative, an interdisciplinary collaboration of more than 70 scholars around the world. Through his research and education, Anand aims to shape a human-centric future of work where emerging technologies are integrated ethically, inclusively, and sustainably into organizations and society.