Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly embedding itself in knowledge work, supporting tasks such as writing, analysis, coding, and information synthesis. Although widely promoted as enhancing productivity and learning, concerns persist regarding overreliance, deskilling, and erosion of professional expertise. Current debates typically frame GenAI’s impact on skills in binary terms—upskilling versus deskilling—yet empirical evidence on how workers themselves experience these changes in everyday practice remains limited. This study examines how knowledge workers perceive the impact of GenAI on their professional skills. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 professionals in the Netherlands, including academics (e.g., lecturers and professors) and non-academic professionals (e.g., consultants, analysts, engineers, legal professionals, and public sector employees) with varying levels of experience. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in participants’ accounts of skill-related change. Four perceived skill outcomes emerged: skill development, skill maintenance, skill erosion, and skill revaluation. Skill development involved acquiring or strengthening competencies through learning from GenAI outputs, expanded information access, and offloading routine tasks to focus on higher-level work. Skill maintenance described situations where participants perceived little or no change, often linked to selective and critical use. Skill erosion referred to diminished ability to perform tasks independently without GenAI support. Skill revaluation captured shifts in perceived skill importance as certain tasks became delegable while others gained prominence. Overall, findings indicate that GenAI’s impact on professional skills is heterogeneous and practice-dependent. The proposed four-outcome framework offers a nuanced account of how workers interpret skill change in everyday GenAI use. ... Read more

Employee monitoring software enables employers to oversee their workforce, even when working remotely. While it has the potential to enhance efficiency, productivity, and profitability within an organization, there are also significant risks associated with its adoption, such as violations of privacy, security intrusions, and lack of transparency. Although recent research thoroughly discusses the role of employers in the ethical use of monitoring, the role of monitoring software vendors has yet to be explored. Therefore, this research is aimed at exploring vendors’ current involvement in mitigating the risks of employee monitoring software. To achieve this, a content analysis was conducted on 15 websites selling employee monitoring software to examine how vendors address these risks. Given the lack of relevant literature and the possible reluctance of vendors to discuss the risks in surveys or interviews, content analysis enables a systematic review of the available software and the portrayal of employee monitoring on their websites. The findings show that risk-mitigating features are uncommon in the solutions offered by these companies. Furthermore, vendors tend to misrepresent and under-represent the risks of monitoring tools on their webpages compared to the benefits. With insights from this study, policymakers and advocates can develop new measures to promote the ethical use of employee monitoring. These measures could include establishing a knowledge center to provide general, evidence-based information about risks and benefits as an objective third party. ... Read more