AI-Driven Assistants for Enhancing Team Effectiveness in Distributed International Teams: A Systematic Literature Survey

Distributed global teams working in the post-pandemic world of virtualization and remote work have difficulties in coordination, communication, and decision-making. To support such teams, AI-driven assistants that employ technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing have been used. This systematic literature survey examines the impact of AI assistants on distributed teams' process efficiency, collaboration dynamics, and overall performance based on 25 articles published between 2019 and 2025. Using a PRISMA-like approach, the finding indicates that the facilitators include features such as seamless integration and trust-building, whereas the obstacles encompass over-reliance and ethical issues. The results show that AI can raise productivity by up to 15% in distributed settings, mainly due to on-the-fly support and automation, although there are also some contradictions regarding the communication exacerbation. The practice implication is the customized AI implementation in agile frameworks, while the research direction is the long-term study on cultural adaptation. This survey serves as a source of evidence for human-AI teaming in the distributed international contexts by highlighting the cognitive load reduction and white spaces in multicultural adaptations as the possible mechanisms.