Purpose

The emergence of new generations of artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT or Copilot has brought about a wave of innovation in the service workplace. These robotic agents can serve as companions, helping employees cope with work-related stress. This research introduces the concept of “artificial companionship,” which explains how robotic agents can function as partners in assisting service employees to fulfill their job responsibilities and maintain their mental well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses a mixed methods approach grounded in social support theory from psychology and management to develop a conceptual framework for the stress-alleviating implications of artificial companionship. A qualitative employee survey is conducted to justify the relevance of the propositions.

Findings

This research delineates the concept of artificial companionship. It highlights four distinct roles that AI can play in companionship – instrumental, informative, caring, and intimate. Building on this foundation, the research presents a series of propositions that elucidate the potential of artificial companionship in mitigating stress among employees.

Practical implications

Firms should consider aligning the types of artificial companionship with the demands inherent in employees’ job responsibilities to better reinforce their resilience and sustainment in overcoming work-related challenges.

Originality/value

This research introduces a new perspective on artificial companionship through the lens of social support theory. It extends the current understanding of human-robot collaboration in service workspaces and derives a set of propositions to guide future investigations.

中文翻译：

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Howdy，Robo-Partner：探索人工陪伴及其为服务员工减轻压力的潜力

 目的

ChatGPT 或 Copilot 等新一代人工智能 (AI) 的出现，带来了服务工作场所的创新浪潮。这些机器人代理可以作为同伴，帮助员工应对工作相关的压力。这项研究引入了“人工陪伴”的概念，解释了机器人代理如何作为合作伙伴帮助服务人员履行工作职责并保持心理健康。

设计/方法论/途径

这项研究采用基于心理学和管理学的社会支持理论的混合方法，为人工陪伴的缓解压力影响开发了一个概念框架。进行定性员工调查以证明建议的相关性。

 发现

这项研究描述了人工陪伴的概念。它强调了人工智能在陪伴中可以扮演的四种不同角色——工具性、信息性、关怀性和亲密性。在此基础上，该研究提出了一系列主张，阐明了人工陪伴在减轻员工压力方面的潜力。

 实际影响

企业应考虑将人工陪伴的类型与员工工作职责固有的要求相结合，以更好地增强他们克服工作相关挑战的弹性和持续性。

 原创性/价值

这项研究通过社会支持理论的视角引入了人工陪伴的新视角。它扩展了当前对服务工作空间中人机协作的理解，并得出了一系列命题来指导未来的研究。