Double-edged perspectives on service robots: working with robots and robots’ future career impacts

ABSTRACT This study investigates the perspectives of undergraduate tourism and hospitality students on working with robots and the influence of the widespread use of robots on future careers. Accordingly, interviews were conducted with thirty students. The findings include two main categories: working with robots in the tourism and hospitality industry (advantages of working with robots, disadvantages of working with robots, and willingness to work with or implement robots) and future career impacts of the widespread use of robots (threatening human employment, reducing the motivation toward working in the industry, unfair competition between humans and robots, negative psychological impact/feeling of being less skilled than robots, and giving up/changing the industry). This research contributes to the literature by revealing the dimensions of working with robots and the future career impacts of the widespread use of robots. A model of future career impacts of the widespread use of robots was also proposed.