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This study explores the effect of hotel employees' readiness for and acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), on hotels’ adoption of AI, and its subsequent impact on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as impact on non-financial performance (NFP), within the U.S. independent hotel sector. A novel survey instrument was devised, validated and administered to 1600 employees in independent hotels across the United States. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses derived from a conceptual framework. The results confirmed that employee readiness and acceptance of AI significantly affects AI and SDG adoption, and also positively impacted NFP metrics such as employee optimism, satisfaction and engagement. The study finds evidence of a pathway from employee engagement with AI to greater SDG adoption, and in turn, enhanced NFP. This highlights the significance of leveraging employee attitudes toward AI for more sustainable and effective performance in the hospitality sector. • AI adoption drives SDG implementation in independent hotels. • A novel AI & SDG adoption model is used to test this relationship. • Employee readiness and acceptance of AI are drivers of AI adoption. • SDG adoption leads to improved employee non-financial performance.
María Jesús Jerez-Jerez (Mon,) studied this question.