The rising use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in organizations is undeniable, yet extant research often adopts a binary perspective of either predominantly pessimistic or optimistic views on AI. Drawing on the appraisal-tendency framework of emotion, we propose that employee’s perception of AI’s capability serve as an awe-eliciting stimulus, evoking feeling of awe toward AI—an emotion that exists at the upper reaches of pleasure and the boundary of fear—which, in turn, enhances AI-motivated learning behavior. Furthermore, we argue that employees’ learning goal orientation strengthens the effect of awe on AI-motivated learning behavior. Using multiwave, multisource survey data from 69 supervisors and 387 subordinates, path analyses revealed that employee’s perception of AI’s capability was positively related to feeling of awe toward AI, which, in turn, was positively associated with AI-motivated learning behavior. Additionally, employee’s learning goal orientation strengthened this positive relationship, supporting the moderated mediation hypothesis. These findings move beyond the binary perspective of pessimistic or optimistic views on AI, emphasizing that such dichotomous perspectives fail to capture the complexity of employee’s emotional response to AI’s capability. This research offers practical insights for managing AI technologies and fostering employee proactivity in organizational contexts.
