Anthropomorphism of Service Robots in the Hospitality Industry

Artificial intelligence-based service robots are becoming more and more common in the hospitality industry. However, it is worth noting that the impact of some features of service robots is a double-edged sword, especially the anthropomorphic characteristics. The conceptual definitions related to the anthropomorphism of service robots in the hospitality industry have not been made explicit, which has led to the lack of a comprehensive framework to guide research related to this topic. This study presents the evolution over time of the research focus on anthropomorphism of service robots in the context of the hospitality industry through a keyword co-occurrence analysis of empirical English-language journal articles. Secondly, this study provides an overall overview of the trends and development of research related to this topic through research methodology analysis, theoretical background analysis, and research trend analysis. Subsequently, based on the antecedents and outcomes related to service robot anthropomorphism found in existing studies, a conceptual framework is developed to show the internal mechanisms by which this characteristic of service robots affects consumers. Finally, potential research questions are analyzed in light of the limitations of existing studies, providing a reference for future research.