Navigating generative AI use in tourism and hospitality: how trust and ethics shape human-machine information interaction of practitioners

Purpose This study aims to investigate how trust and ethics of generative AI (GenAI) could influence information seeking of practitioners, which is important for human–machine collaboration. Method Drawing from the social response theory, this study analyzes data from in-depth interviews with tourism account operators and hotel staff who use GenAI services to assist their work. Thematic analysis was used to systematically examine and interpret the interview data, enabling the identification of recurring patterns, themes and underlying meanings within participants’ responses. Findings The mind perception can facilitate employees’ technical trust, which in turn further facilitates their exploration willingness. And the sociotechnical concern can dampen employees’ technical trust, which should have facilitated their exploration willingness. The mind perception can facilitate employees’ ethical recognition of AI rights, whereas sociotechnical concerns tend to inhibit such recognition. Moreover, employees’ ethical recognition of AI rights can facilitate their exploration willingness. Originalities/values Beyond theory, the findings offer a practical roadmap for business leaders and AI developers to foster responsible AI adoption, balancing innovation with human-centric values. By bridging the gap between machine efficiency and human intuition, this study equips organizations to navigate the GenAI era, where trust, ethics and collaboration define success.