Customer service through AI-Powered human-robot relationships: Where are we now? The case of Henn na cafe, Japan

Throughout history, interactions between humans and robots, and robots themselves have experienced profound shifts, generating a plethora of literature within the domains of manufacturing and services. Despite the abundance of scientific publications, consensus regarding these relationships remains elusive, fostering ambiguity within and between these domains. This article aims to present an encompassing and widely accepted perspective on the existing body of literature, seeking to unravel the nature of these relational paradigms. Our objective revolves around analyzing that zeroes in on the enhancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Human-Robot relationships, particularly in the context of services. Henceforth, our research pivots toward a specialized body of literature exploring the domain of technical-biosocial systems, which encompasses human-technology-social structures. By doing so, we aim to analyze AI within a more delimited context, thereby mitigating the critique that a gap persists in scholarly discourse owing to the predominant analysis of AI within a global purview. Mindful of the potential drawbacks associated with a purely holistic and aggregated conceptual theoretical model, we have opted to subject our model to empirical validation. To achieve this, a case study was employed, with a specific focus on the avant-garde Henn na Cafe in Japan. The findings underline that currently, Henn na Cafe employs Human-Robot Interaction and Collaboration (HRI-C). However, there is an expectation that service companies will embrace an evolving HRI-C by integrating AI to enhance service delivery activities. Alternatively, they may opt for a Robot-Robot Interaction and Collaboration (RRI-C) approach with improved social capabilities or multi-human/multi-robot systems. The empirical findings are consistent with existing literature, which indicates a contemporary scholarly interest in investigating complex and emotional systems within service-oriented environments. These environments, characterized by elevated levels of AI, present challenges for AI systems in executing service functions effectively. Recent research endeavors aim to synthesize and assess the prevailing understanding and research directions within this domain. This convergence of findings not only reinforces theoretical research but also provides supplementary perspectives on human-robot relations and the complexities involved in service delivery within technologically sophisticated settings. Subsequent research endeavors could pivot towards a heightened focus on the services sector, exploring potential relationships and how AI might either fortify the services domain or pivot towards a vantage point centered on multi-robot systems.