What makes an AI device human-like? The role of interaction quality, empathy and perceived psychological anthropomorphic characteristics in the acceptance of artificial intelligence in the service industry
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Empathy has been linked specifically to customers' purchase interest and overall satisfaction.
“This last dimension has been linked specifically to customers' purchase interest and overall satisfaction, suggesting that personalization carries weight beyond simple courtesy (Pelau et al., 2021).”
From Restaurant Service Quality in Relation to Customer Satisfaction (2026) · cites this paper as Pelau et al., 2021
Large language models function as interlocutors in their own right, generating personalized responses simulating understanding and empathy.
“Unlike earlier digital technologies that primarily mediated communication between humans, large language models function as interlocutors in their own right, generating personalized responses simulating understanding and empathy [14,16].”
From Encountering Generative AI: Narrative Self-Formation and Technologies of the Self Among Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [16]
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“We adapted scales from the literature to measure trust [51,52], novelty value [51,53], customer innovativeness [54], privacy concerns [55], and AI adoption [56] (Table S3 in Multimedia Appendix 1).”
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“Unlike earlier digital technologies that primarily mediated communication between humans, large language models function as interlocutors in their own right, generating personalized responses simulating understanding and empathy [14,16].”
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Restaurant Service Quality in Relation to Customer Satisfaction
Cabanday, F., & Estrosas, J. L. (2026) · The International Review of Multidisciplinary Research · doi:10.67167/vertex.656
“This last dimension has been linked specifically to customers' purchase interest and overall satisfaction, suggesting that personalization carries weight beyond simple courtesy (Pelau et al., 2021).”
- Authors
- Pelau, C., Dabija, D.-C., & Ene, I.
- Affiliations
- Babeș-Bolyai University (RO)
- Bucharest University of Economic Studies (RO)
- Venue
- Computers in Human Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-09
- Volume
- 122
- Pages
- 106855
- ISSN
- 0747-5632 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3157200701
- Cited by
- 889
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 220 · 2025: 243 · 2024: 182 · 2023: 136 · 2022: 94 · 2021: 14
- FWCI
- 37.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Computers in Human Behavior (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › AI in Service Interactions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Robot Interaction and HRI
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
- Keywords
- AI acceptance, perceived empathy, interaction quality, service robots, service sector, consumer trust, human-AI interaction, mediating effect
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