Societal debates on artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of the job market typically focus on technical feasibility: which tasks can AI perform? An equally consequential, yet underexplored, question concerns human acceptance—which roles are people willing to entrust to AI? Addressing this gap, we propose Relational Calibration Theory (RCT). RCT conceptualizes human trust along two dimensions: pragmatic trust—confidence in competence, accuracy, and reliability—and relational trust—confidence in warmth, empathy, and fairness. RCT extends cognitive-affective trust models to human-AI interaction by emphasizing delegation choices rather than purely interpersonal relationships. Individuals continuously calibrate trust along these two anchors, adjusting reliance on AI or humans over time based on prior experiences, feedback, and evolving perceptions of competence and relational responsiveness. This calibration accounts for both task-specific conditions and person-specific tendencies.


Our study (N=400) tests how pragmatic and relational trust shape delegation choices in workplace-relevant contexts. Using a mixed experimental design (Agent: AI vs. human; Task: analytic vs. relational; Relational cues: high vs. low), we examine medical, financial, and interpersonal decision scenarios. Relational cues include warmth and fairness signals, such as empathetic language, acknowledgment of circumstances, and transparent reasoning. By systematically varying how competence and relational cues are signaled in AI and human agents, the study examines how participants integrate functional and socio-emotional information to guide delegation decisions. This allows us to predict workplace delegation decision-making and the joint effects of perceived competence and relational capacity on task allocation.


By focusing on how participants adjust their reliance on AI versus humans across competence and socio-emotional dimensions, RCT predicts which roles are likely to be delegated to AI and which remain human-centered. Through offering a predictive and integrative framework, RCT shall deliver actionable insights for HR strategy, job design, and organizational policy.