Abstract: The usage of intelligent machines (AI, robots, and algorithms) has changed the way employees work. Given the workplace complexity arising from the interaction between employees and intelligent machines, it is critical to understand how the usage of intelligent machines on their work engagement. Based on the stereotype content model, this study explores the double-edged sword effect of employees' perception of the usage of intelligent machines on their work engagement through 325 valid samples. The results show that for employees with low AI identity, the usage of intelligent machines reduces their warmth perception, thus inhibiting their work engagement; for employees with high AI identity, the usage of intelligent machines enhances their competence perception, thus promoting their work engagement. This paper opens the black box of the mechanism of how the usage of intelligent machines influences employees' work engagement and broadens the research field of stereotype content model, thus helpful for organizations to effectively combine intelligent machines with employee work, for employees to reasonably recognize intelligent machines, and for both organizations and employees to benefit from succeed artificial intelligence.

Key words: the usage of intelligent machines, warmth perception, competence perception, stereotype content model, AI identity