The impact of innovation barriers in the use of hotel artificial intelligence service robots on innovation resistance and usage intentions

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between innovation barriers to the use of hotel AI service robots and their impact on innovation resistance and usage intention, with a focus on non-users of these robots. An online survey was conducted with 307 hotel customers who had never used AI service robots. The study examined the influence of innovation barriers on innovation resistance, the moderating role of facilitating conditions, and the impact of innovation resistance on intent to use. The analysis identified five sub-factors of innovation barriers: usage, value, risk, tradition, and image barriers. Among non-users, value, tradition, and image barriers were found to have a significant impact on innovation resistance. Facilitating conditions did not significantly moderate the relationship between innovation barriers and resistance. Additionally, innovation resistance had a significant negative effect on usage intention. This study contributes to the understanding of innovation resistance in the context of hotel AI service robots, highlighting the importance of addressing key barriers to enhance customer acceptance and adoption. Given that higher innovation resistance leads to lower intention to use, hotels should seek ways to maximize the convenience of AI service robots, making them more seamlessly integrated into daily operations. By doing so, they can effectively reduce innovation resistance and increase customer adoption of AI service robots.