GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS OF ADOPTING FRONTLINE ROBOTS AS SERVICE ROBOTS IN HOTEL INDUSTRY

ABSTRACT

Robotic technology is an application of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) where machines mimic the intelligence of human agents. Globally, frontline robots are replacing frontline employees in several sectors of the economy for different services. Analogous to the industrial revolution, the service sector of our economy is facing critical changes. The overall result of this is to have a revolutionized smart nation. This study utilizes a conceptual method that is based on service robot theories. Although, the hotel industry globally has already started adopting and implementing frontline robots in their frontline services, however, only a little information is obtainable about the potential consequences of using the frontline robots in the hotels industry exist. With this, the study tends to achieve the following objectives; 1) to give an insight into the basic concepts of frontline robots, and service robots as it relates to service delivery. 2) to review extant literature to analyze and compare the implications of adopting the use of Frontline Robots as Service Robots in hotel as one of the hospitality industry as compared to the use of human agents in a global perspective but considering only micro level because it is the fundamental level at the same time a litmus ground for testing every business progress (productivity and acceptance). The implications can be viewed at the micro level for all the key stakeholders at that level. 3) To determine the most recommendable agents by customers i.e., Frontline Robots or Human Agents or Human-Robots-Collaboration (HRC) known as a semi-automated system. 4) To highlight the gap in the research field particularly in the African context. Based on the analyses, the result revealed that the use of humanoid robots that can handle cognitive and emotional tasks is advisable or the use of a semi-automated system that gives a better customer relation management (CRM) service than the conventional customer-human agent service.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence Application; Global Implications; Frontline Robots; Service Robots; Hotel Industry