AI Service and Emotion. (November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bagozzi, Richard P.; Brady, Michael K.; Huang, Ming-Hui
• Other Names: Bagozzi Richard P. guest-editor.; Brady Michael K. guest-editor.; Huang Ming-Hui guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of service research. Volume 25:Number 4(2022)
• Page Start: 499
• Page End: 504
• Publication Date: 2022-11
• Subjects: artificial intelligence -- AI service -- AI emotion -- basic emotion -- self-conscious emotion -- moral emotion -- AI as customer -- thoughtful AI; Customer services -- Periodicals; Service industries -- Periodicals; 658.81205
• DOI: 10.1177/10946705221118579
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1094-6705

Abstract

AI in service can be for routine mechanical tasks, analytical thinking tasks, or empathetic feeling tasks. We provide a conceptual framework for the customer, firm, and interactional use of AI for empathetic tasks at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. Emotions resulting from AI service interactions can include basic emotions (e.g., joy, sadness, and fear), self-conscious emotions (e.g., pride, guilt, embarrassment), and moral emotions (e.g., contempt, righteous anger, social disgust). These emotions are mostly likely to occur during frontline interactions in which both firms and customers use AI, a phenomenon called "AI as customer." The analysis level of AI service and emotion can be at the macro-level in which AI is transforming the service economy into a feeling economy, at the meso-level in which firms can use "thoughtful AI" to make the employees' and customers' lives a little bit better by brightening their days, and at the micro-level in which customers can experience basic, self-conscious, and moral emotions from interactions with service AI.