AI Robots in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry: A Future with New Colleagues

Kristina Palm, Professor of Working Life Science, School of Business and Economics, Karlstad University

What is the project about?
“We aim to study and develop knowledge about how employees in the frontline of the hospitality and tourism industry, those who interact with customers, are affected by the introduction of AI robots into their work. Our focus is to understand how emotional labour in relation to customers is impacted when employees have a robot as a colleague. The purpose is to identify both opportunities and challenges for a good working environment.”

Why is research on this needed?
“Robots are already being used in several types of businesses, but there is very limited research, particularly in Sweden, on how this affects work, workers, and the work environment. Today, many businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry struggle with recruitment, and many employers see digitalisation and robotisation as part of the solution. Therefore, more knowledge is needed that can be applied practically. A deeper understanding of the interaction between employees, robots, and customers is crucial for implementing robots in a way that creates value for all parties.”

How does the hospitality and tourism industry benefit from this?
“The hospitality and tourism industry has experienced significant growth over the past fifteen years, but the pandemic years of 2020–2022 unfortunately hindered that progress. One consequence is that businesses now face challenges such as skills shortages and labour deficits. To be an attractive employer and compete for talent, businesses need to provide a good working environment. Therefore, knowledge about the impact of digitalisation and robotisation on the working environment is important. In addition, research shows that a good working environment leads to higher profitability.”

How will you carry out the research?
“We will interview and conduct field studies among hotel employees currently working with robots, as well as conduct lab experiments. We also have access to a robot developed by Furhat Robotics, which we can use to create situations and scenarios for study.”

“Poja Shams, one of our participating researchers, has developed a measurement tool in the form of a bracelet that records physiological reactions, such as electrodermal activity (EDA), which measures stress and emotional responses. The bracelet can identify changes in autonomic activity, such as micro-sweating, before the wearer consciously notices them. When a change is detected, a signal is given, encouraging the wearer to reflect and note what is happening in the situation. These notes are then analysed alongside the physiological measurements to create a deeper understanding of how interactions with robots affect employees and, in turn, influence the customer experience.”

“We will also hold a workshop with participating companies, employee and employer representatives to discuss the question: What are the possible and desirable (work environment) futures where AI is part of the hospitality and tourism industry? Following this, we will develop future scenarios related to AI and work environments that can be used as a foundation for the hospitality and tourism industry in developing robot and digitalisation strategies.”

Participating companies
Furhat Robotics, Strawberry and Compare Karlstad.

Project facts

Project

AI Robots in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry: A Future with New Colleagues

Research organization

School of Business and Economics, Karlstad University

Project Manager

Kristina Palm

Members

Maria Åkesson, School of Business and Economics, Karlstad University, Poja Shams och Nina Löfberg, Centrum för tjänsteforskning, Karlstads universitet, Calle Rosengren, Högskolan Kristianstad samt Carin Håkansta, Karolinska Institutet

Period

June. 2025 – May. 2027

Amount

SEK 3,800,000

Läs om projektet på svenska »

Kristina Palm
Professor

Professor i
arbetsvetenskap, docent i industriell arbetsvetenskap vid KTH
Photo: Andreas Andersson

Maria Åkesson

Universitetslektor i företagsekonomi
Photo: Linn Malmén

Poja Shams

Universitetslektor i företagsekonomi
Photo: Karlstads universitet

Nina Löfberg

Forskare, fil.dr i företagsekonomi
Photo: Linda Fridberg

Calle Rosengren

Bitr. prof. i arbetsvetenskap, Högskolan Kristianstad, fil.dr i industriell arbetsvetenskap, KTH, docent i arbetsmiljöteknik, Lunds universitet
Photo: Kennet Ruona

Carin Håkansta

Forskningsspecialist, fil.dr i arbetsvetenskap
Photo: Zeb Håkansta van Liemt