AI has become increasingly embedded into employees' everyday lives. However, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how and under what conditions AI use can shape employee positive work experience. Based on the affective event theory (AET) and the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, we conceptualize AI use as a resourceful work event, but its positive impact depends on the extent to which employees can turn this resourceful event into cognitive resources. Specifically, we hypothesize that the joint effects of AI use and positive reflection—comprising intrapersonal savoring (personal reflection on what went well) and interpersonal sharing (capitalization with others)—will boost cognitive resource crafting (CRC). In turn, CRC is expected to foster higher energy levels and better performance.
We conducted a weekly diary study over 4 consecutive weeks with 114 knowledge workers in China who regularly used AI tools. Multilevel analysis revealed that AI use was more strongly associated with CRC during weeks when employees engaged in high levels of intrapersonal savoring and interpersonal sharing. Further, conditional indirect effects analysis showed that weekly AI use indirectly influenced energy and performance via CRC, with these effects being amplified when employees engaged in high levels of savoring and sharing.


By integrating JD-R and AET theories, our findings demonstrate that the benefits of AI use extend beyond mere tool adoption. Instead, AI use functions as a positive work event that, when reflectively processed, can be transformed into enduring cognitive resources. We further highlight the importance of agentic reflective practices, such as savoring and sharing small "AI wins", in maximizing the positive impact of AI use on employees' cognitive resource crafting, energy, and performance.