Picture this: you are about to book your next vacation and are looking forward to getting in touch with those who will guarantee you a pleasant stay. You dial the hotel number and, instead of a human voice, a digital assistant answers you. It is efficient, quick, available 24/7 and ready to address your every need. Yet, something is missing. Human warmth, emotional connection, empathy, the feeling that there is a genuine smile behind an efficient voice: that something that makes you feel truly welcomed and special.
Welcome to the new world of services, where artificial intelligence is reshaping the rules of interaction. At the forefront is the tourism industry, where McKinsey estimates that chatbots will handle 95 percent of customer interactions by 2025.
In this rapidly changing context, Professor Daniele Scarpi de Claricini of the University of Bologna undertook a study entitled Strangers or friends, examining chatbot adoption in tourism through psychological ownership, published in Tourism Management. The article sheds light on an often overlooked aspect of the digital revolution: the psychological impact of chatbots on customer relationships. While most of the literature focuses on the benefits of the adoption of AI, the author ventured into the less explored territory of the “dark side” of these technologies. Research reveals that replacing the human element with a chatbot can have unexpected and potentially negative consequences.
At the heart of the study is the concept of “psychological ownership”-that sense of belonging and connection we feel toward something, regardless of legal ownership. The author found that interaction with a chatbot, however practical, quick and undoubtedly useful and efficient, can erode this feeling.
The research involved 200 potential tourists, randomly divided into two groups: all interacted with humans on a one-to-one text-based digital platform, but half of them believed they were interacting with digital assistants. Those who believed they were interacting with a chatbot reported significantly lower levels of psychological ownership in all its components: self-efficacy, accountability, sense of belonging and self-identity.
But why is this important? Because psychological ownership is the invisible glue that binds us to an experience, a place, a brand. It is what makes us feel “at home” in a hotel, what motivates us to return, to recommend it to friends. But the same argument can also be applied to a brand community, a store, a doctor’s office, etc. When this bond weakens, the entire customer-business relationship suffers.
Indeed, the study revealed that decreased psychological ownership leads to less engagement in the relationship and, consequently, less intention to book again. In other words, chatbots, while efficient, may unintentionally drive customers away, draining the relationship, simply by being bots instead of humans.
These results present no small challenge to customer interaction. How do we balance the efficiency that people attribute to AI with the human need for connection that people (rightly or wrongly) do not believe AI is currently capable of replicating?
The study suggests some strategies to mitigate these negative effects. For example, chatbots could be designed to reinforce customers’ sense of self-efficacy by providing clear instructions and interactive tutorials. They could encourage accountability by asking for confirmations and setting goals. A sense of belonging could be cultivated through personalized greetings and access to exclusive offers.
But the biggest challenge remains: how to replicate that “human touch” that makes a customer feel truly special? As the travel industry navigates these uncharted waters as a pioneer, one thing is clear: the balance between technological efficiency and human connection will be important for success in many other services in the future.
This study paves the way for new thinking about the impact of AI. It reminds us that in the age of digitization, we must not lose sight of what really makes the consumer experience special: the human connection, the sense of belonging, and being recognized as unique individuals. While chatbots will continue to evolve, perhaps the real challenge will be finding the balance between the efficiency of artificial intelligence and the warmth of emotional intelligence. Only then can we ensure that customers feel not just served, but truly welcomed.
