Effects of Anthropomorphism on Value-based Adoption Model: An Empirical Study of AI Baristas
Xiaomin Gong · 2024
Service robots powered by AI are revolutionizing the service industry. More and more establishments are leveraging service robots instead of human staff to provide service. Service robots are often designed with a variety of appearances and can be broadly categorized as anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic. However, there is currently few researches on how the anthropomorphic appearance of service robots affects consumers’ adoption willingness. The purpose of this study is to validate the Value-based Adoption Model (VAM) to explore consumers’ intentions to adopt AI service robots and the impact of anthropomorphism on this model. We conducted two separate scenario experiments focusing on the VAM model and anthropomorphism differences. The results from revealed that anthropomorphism significantly and positively influences perceived usefulness and enjoyment. This study provides valuable insights for market practitioners, suggesting that leveraging anthropomorphism in service AI design can enhance consumer perceptions of value and foster greater adoption willingness.