The dark side of artificial intelligence in services

Artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, including Generative AI, are being increasingly implemented in service industries, and are having a great impact on service operations and on customers’ reactions and behaviors. Previous literature is overoptimistic about AI implementation, and there is still a need to explore the dark side of this technology; that is, its potential negative impacts on consumers, businesses, and society, as well as the moral concerns associated with AI use in services. To establish some fundamental insights related to this research domain, this paper contributes to previous AI based-services literature by proposing a three-part conceptual model inspired by Belanche et al. (2020a), comprised of AI design, customers, and the service encounter. Specifically, we identify key factors and research gaps within each category that need to be addressed. The final research questions provide a research agenda to guide scholars and help practitioners implement AI-based services while avoiding their potential negative outcomes.