The sound of progress: AI voice agents in service

Purpose This article advances research on artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice agents (hereafter, AI voice agents) by providing (1) a conceptualization of AI voice, (2) a conceptual mapping of AI voice agents, and (3) an organizing framework outlining key benefits, risks, and contingency factors associated with AI voice agents in service. This introduction to the special issue on “Voice Capabilities in Smart Service Systems” also outlines future research directions for AI voice agents in service and beyond. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on insights from marketing and management literature complemented with communications, linguistics, and human–computer interaction research, the article describes voice elements relevant for service research. The conceptual mapping and the organizing framework guide the future research agenda. Findings First, AI voice is conceptualized through verbal (i.e. diction, syntax, semantics) and paraverbal elements (i.e. pitch, volume, speech rate, pauses, pronunciation, articulation, timbre, and breathiness). Next, the proposed typology maps AI voice agents by voice richness and AI intelligence. Finally, the conceptual framework articulates benefits (e.g. interactivity, social presence, convenience, personalization, enjoyment) and risks (e.g. intrusiveness, privacy concerns, algorithmic bias) associated with AI voice agents, and introduces relevant contingency factors covering user, voice technology, service setting, and ecosystem characteristics. Originality/value The paper offers a clear definition of AI voice, as well as a conceptual mapping that enables service researchers to systematically classify and compare AI voice agents. Moreover, the study highlights key pathways that may inspire future work.