Purpose

Service robots are gradually becoming more anthropomorphic and intelligent. This research aims to investigate how anthropomorphic service robots with different levels of intelligence affect their human counterparts.

Design/methodology/approach

Two between-subject experimental studies were used to test whether different levels of service robot anthropomorphism with different levels of intelligence influence employees' morale and resistance to service robots.

Findings

Study 1 shows that the effect of service robot anthropomorphism (low vs. high) on employees' resistance and morale is mediated by perceived job-security threat. Study 2 validates this mediating effect and shows that it is moderated by the type of AI (mechanical vs. analytical). Specifically, when exposed to mechanical AI-powered service robots, employees exhibit a higher perceived job-security threat toward robots with a high (vs. low) degree of anthropomorphism. This moderating effect is not observed when employees are exposed to analytical AI-powered service robots. This moderated mediation effect is also found for the signing of a petition as the behavioral outcome.

Practical implications

Service firms considering the adoption of mechanical AI-powered service robots should choose a low (vs. high) anthropomorphic robot to reduce the sense of job-security threat felt by human employees, which subsequently increases their acceptance. However, if analytical AI-powered service robots with are to replace their human employees, the degree of anthropomorphism becomes irrelevant.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study to explore how anthropomorphic service robots can influence human employees' evaluations and behaviors.

中文翻译：

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服务机器人拟人化如何影响人类同事？

目的

服务机器人正逐渐走向拟人化和智能化。这项研究旨在调查具有不同智能水平的拟人化服务机器人如何影响他们的人类同行。

设计/方法/途径

采用两项被试间实验研究来检验不同智能水平的服务机器人拟人化水平是否会影响员工的士气和对服务机器人的抵触情绪。

发现

研究 1 表明，服务机器人拟人化（低与高）对员工抵抗力和士气的影响是由感知到的工作安全威胁所调节的。研究 2 验证了这种中介效应，并表明它受到 AI 类型（机械与分析）的调节。具体来说，当接触到由人工智能驱动的机械服务机器人时，员工对具有高（相对于低）拟人化程度的机器人表现出更高的工作安全威胁。当员工接触到分析型 AI 驱动的服务机器人时，不会观察到这种调节效应。签署请愿书作为行为结果也发现了这种缓和的中介效应。

实际影响

考虑采用机械人工智能服务机器人的服务公司应该选择低（相对于高）拟人化机器人，以减少人类员工感受到的工作安全威胁感，从而提高他们的接受度。然而，如果由分析型 AI 驱动的服务机器人取代人类员工，那么拟人化程度就变得无关紧要了。

原创性/价值

这是第一个探索拟人化服务机器人如何影响人类员工评价和行为的实证研究。