Anthropomorphize service robots: the role of human nature traits

ABSTRACT

Empowered by artificial intelligence (AI), human-like service robots are prevalent, but they may have negative effects. Limited research has studied suitable strategies for anthropomorphizing service robots. In contrast to ordinary nonhuman objects, one of the robots’ most essential features is that they have logic and are rational when they are empowered by AI, yet such rationality may destroy consumers’ perceived identity uniqueness as human beings, eliciting bad outcomes. Therefore, we explore how to anthropomorphize service robots through maintaining consumers’ perceived identity uniqueness. Through four studies, we find that consumers’ attitudes about service robots will improve via a decreased identity threat if service robots are anthropomorphized with external human nature traits (that can be shared by animals) rather than uniquely human traits (that only humans have). In addition, this effect is mitigated by robots’ servant communication style. The results indicate what anthropomorphic type of service robot is suitable for managers.

摘要

在人工智能的赋能下，拟人化的服务机器人非常流行，但其也可能会产生阴暗面。现有关于如何有效拟人化服务机器人的研究非常少见。与普通非人类实体相比，机器人最重要的特色之一是它们在人工智能的支持下具有了逻辑和理性的能力，这可能会破坏消费者作为人类的身份独特性进而导致严重的负面后果。因此，我们从维持消费者身份独特性感知的角度探索如何拟人化服务机器人。通过四项研究，本文发现：如果服务机器人在外显拟人化时被注入自然特质（动物可以共享）而不是独特特质（只有人类才可以拥有的），消费者对服务机器人的积极态度将会得到提高，这是由于降低了他们的身份威胁感知。另外，仆人式沟通会调节上述效应。上述研究结论对于管理者如何确定合适的服务机器人拟人化策略提供了重要的启示。

KEYWORDS:

• Service robots
• human nature traits
• anthropomorphism
• servant communication style
• identity threat
• the uncanny valley

关键词:

• 服务机器人、自然特质、拟人化、仆人沟通方式、身份威胁、神秘谷

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 72132008, 91746206)