THE HOSPITABLE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS: A TRIAD OF ESSAYS ON CONSCIOUSNESS ATTRIBUTION AND HOSPITABLENESS IN AI-ENABLED SERVICE PROVIDERS

Abstract

The concept of “genuine hospitality” extends beyond the mere provision of tangible offerings and hospitable behaviors by the host. It requires true hospitableness on the part of the service providers themselves. However, like humans, can AI also serve as a provider capable of embodying hospitableness? This dissertation seeks to establish a comprehensive theoretical framework called the Consciousness Attribution Model of AI Hospitableness (CAMAH) which encompasses three interconnected aspects: (1) the mechanism of consciousness attribution by consumers towards AI-enabled service providers, (2) the necessity of such attributions in recognizing the symbolic value of AI hospitableness, and (3) a nuanced comparison between human and AI providers concerning their capacity to deliver genuine hospitability. Structured into three scholarly essays, this dissertation first undertakes a philosophical and conceptual exploration, culminating in the proposition of CAMAH. Extending the theoretical foundations established in Essay 1, the subsequent essays (2 and 3) delve into empirical investigations within specific service technology domains, focusing on service robots and AI avatars equipped with self-service technologies, respectively. The significance of this dissertation lies in its identification of a necessary condition for AI service providers to be recognized as hospitable hosts capable of imparting hospitality-oriented, symbolic value, while clearly delineating the key boundaries that distinguish AI service providers—notwithstanding their potential to equip with anthropomorphic behaviors/forms—to human counterparts.