Anthropomorphism of service-oriented AI and customers’ propensity for value co-creation

Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) used in service has sparked fundamental changes in how enterprises engage their customers. AI specifically designed for customer service is denoted as service-oriented AI. Through the lens of social information processing theory and the pleasure-arousal-dominance (PAD) emotional state model, this study aims to examine the underlying mechanisms for service-oriented AI anthropomorphism to influence customers' propensity for value co-creation. Design/methodology/approach Our data were collected from hotel customers who had experienced interactions with service-oriented AI. Through purposive sampling, 350 survey responses were collected. We analyzed the survey data using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). Findings This study has two key findings. Firstly, customers' propensity for value co-creation is favorably facilitated by the anthropomorphism of service-oriented AI. Secondly, the anthropomorphism of service-oriented AI can strengthen customers' perceptions of cuteness and service capacity, elicit a sense of novelty, and enhance customers' propensity to collaborate with service-oriented AI to create value. These findings address the research gaps by focusing on customer engagement through service-oriented AI and provide a theoretical basis for subsequent practical endeavors in the field. Originality/value Integrating the PAD emotional state model with the social information processing theory, this study explores the effects of service-oriented AI's anthropomorphism on customers' propensity for value co-creation.