Reimagining the sustainable social development of AI for the service sector: the role of startups

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Purpose: The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is leading to a job transformation within the service ecosystem in which issues related to AI governance principles may hinder the social sustainability of the sector. The relevance of AI startups in driving innovation has been recognized; thus, this paper aims to investigate whether and how AI startups may influence the sustainable social development (SSD) of the service sector.

Method: An empirical study based on 24 in-depth interviews was conducted to qualitatively explore the perceptions of service sector facing AI policymakers, AI consultants and academics (n = 12), as well as AI startups (founders, AI developers; n = 12). An inductive coding approach was used to identify and analyze the data.

Findings: As part of a complex system, AI startups influence the SSD of the service sector in relation to other stakeholders’ contributions for the ethical deployment of AI. Four key factors influencing AI startups’ ability to contribute to the SSD of the service sector were identified: awareness of socioeconomic issues; fostering decent work; systematically applying ethics; and business model innovation.

Practical implications: This study proposes measures for service sector AI startups to promote collaborative efforts and implement managerial practices that adapt to their available resources.

Organizational change process for healthcare organizations introducing mobile service robots

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Purpose: Healthcare organizations seeking to integrate service robots face challenges not directly addressed by existing change management literature. These challenges include inconsistencies in robot capabilities, stakeholder expectations, and the integration of robots into existing work routines. To address this gap, an extended organizational change process framework is proposed based on findings from a qualitative study.

Method: In May 2023, an empirical study based on 15 in-depth interviews with employees from customer service, sales, product development, and user experience (UX) departments of a company that designs and develops service robots for healthcare was conducted.

Findings: The key to realizing technology's benefits is focusing on people embracing and implementing change. We propose a change management process that clarifies robot providers' roles to elucidate the actions they may take to implement mobile service robots successfully.

Practical implications: This framework aids healthcare organizations in smoother robot implementation, aligning with user needs. Emphasis on collaboration between healthcare organizations and robot providers and the broader involvement of individuals who hold significant influence over the technology's operation in the workplace follows the required socio-technical approach for technology-driven change.

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rojas@btech.au.dk

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