Frontline services involving high social-emotional complexity remain a challenge for artificial intelligence, which lacks the empathetic and communicative capabilities these contexts demand. Hence, this article investigates how frontline services can be redesigned to address high social-emotional complexity through Multi-Human/Multi-Avatar (MH/MA) systems. The article addresses the central research question: How can AI’s limitations in delivering frontline services with high socio-emotional complexity be overcome through the implementation of MH/MA systems? It aims to examine how avatar robots can enhance inclusivity and emotional quality in service delivery. Using a qualitative case study of the DAWN Avatar Robot Cafe in Tokyo, Japan, we employed semi-structured interviews with 7 robotics experts and 17 customers, supplemented by direct observation and organizational documents. Our findings reveal that MH/MA architectures, where avatar robots are remotely operated by individuals with physical disabilities, effectively improve inclusivity and emotional engagement in service delivery. The DAWN Cafe is as a good example where socially excluded individuals contribute to frontline services by remotely operating OriHime and OriHime-D robots. This case validates a conceptual framework that extends human-robot interaction models by introducing MH/MA systems as an alternative to AI-driven robotics. The study offers new and original insights into how inclusive service models can leverage avatars to overcome the current limitations of AI in emotionally demanding contexts. Future research should explore MH/MA+AI hybrids, develop targeted training for operators and staff, and examine long-term impacts on both service quality and social inclusion.
João Carlos Gonçalves dos Reis (Thu,) studied this question.