A new meta-analysis examining customer interactions with artificial agents suggests that, in many service contexts, technology is received more positively than often assumed. The study, published in the Journal of Marketing, was conducted by researchers from Aalborg University Business School and the Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. It analyzed 327 experimental studies involving nearly 282,000 participants to assess consumer responses to artificial agents such as chatbots, algorithms, and service robots.
The findings indicate that while human service remains important, the difference in consumer response between human and artificial agents is often minimal. According to co-author Professor Holger Roschk of Aalborg University, artificial agents can perform effectively across various service tasks, particularly when the interaction involves sensitive or potentially uncomfortable topics. In these cases, consumers were found to prefer the discretion of a digital agent over a human counterpart.
The study also highlights contexts where artificial agents may offer distinct advantages. For example, customers were more receptive to negative outcomes—such as loan rejections—when delivered by an algorithm rather than a human. The impersonal nature of the technology appeared to reduce emotional discomfort in these situations.
Additionally, the research points to task-specific strengths: digital systems are effective for functions like route calculation, product recommendations, and transaction processing, while physical robots show utility in environments requiring manual assistance, such as hotel service or warehouse operations.
However, the researchers caution against viewing technology as a wholesale replacement for human employees. In roles that require empathy, adaptability, or nuanced social interaction, human involvement remains essential. The recommendation is for businesses to deploy artificial agents selectively, targeting use cases that can reduce the physical or cognitive burden on staff without compromising the quality of customer experience.
