From hypothetical scenarios to real-world service robots: The next wave of service and marketing research on physical AI

This commentary advances that the next wave of service robot research should move toward a service-systems perspective on physical AI. Recent advances in generative and agentic AI are transforming robots from stand-alone service interfaces into embodied and networked actors that must be orchestrated with other physical AI deployments, virtual AI, employees, customers, digital platforms, and the physical infrastructure they operate in. I propose that future research should focus less narrowly on whether customers accept robots and more on where, how, and under what conditions physical AI creates value for customers, employees, firms, and society. Key research opportunities include studying robot-enabled service systems, backstage value creation, differences between special-purpose and general-purpose robots, orchestration as a core organizational capability, scalable innovation through no-code programming and fleet learning, and corporate digital responsibility (CDR), safety, and cybersecurity challenges of embodied AI. By reframing service robots as part of broader service systems, marketing and service research can develop richer theories of cost-effective service excellence (CESE), responsible deployment, and the human touch where it matters most.