Study reveals how awareness of artificial intelligence and robotics simultaneously enhances performance and increases stress in the hospitality sector

Research Corner | A partnership between Macau Business and the Macao University of Tourism (UTM)

As artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics become increasingly visible in hotel operations from smart check-in systems to service robots, employees are adjusting to a workplace that looks increasingly different from just a few years ago. These technologies promise efficiency, consistency, and innovation. At the same time, they inevitably raise questions about job security and the future shape of service roles. A research team from the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) set out to examine this tension more closely, focusing on how employees’ awareness of AI and robotics affects both their work performance and their psychological well-being.

The study introduces the concept of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Awareness (AIRA), referring to employees’ recognition of the growing presence and potential influence of intelligent technologies in their daily work. Instead of framing AI as simply beneficial or harmful, the researchers argue that awareness itself activates two psychological processes at once, one associated with growth and the other with strain, both shaping employees’ responses to technological change.

A Dual-Path Model: Growth and Strain

Building on AI job replacement theory and the Theory of Work Adjustment, the study proposes a dual-path framework explaining how awareness of AI can generate both proactive adaptation and emotional pressure.

On one hand, employees who recognize the rise of intelligent systems may feel motivated to strengthen their own capabilities. The findings show that AIRA significantly promotes active learning: employees become more inclined to acquire new competencies, update professional knowledge, and adapt to digital tools embedded in hotel operations. This increase in learning behavior is positively linked to work performance. In this sense, awareness of AI can stimulate professional development rather than suppress it.

At the same time, however, awareness carries a different implication. When employees observe that intelligent systems can perform certain tasks more efficiently or consistently, concerns about redundancy and long-term career prospects may emerge. The study finds that AIRA significantly heightens perceptions of job insecurity, which in turn increase work stress. In other words, the same awareness that encourages improvement may also produce psychological tension.

Crucially, these two pathways do not unfold in isolation. They operate concurrently. Employees may invest more effort in skill development while simultaneously worrying about their future roles. By documenting this coexistence, the study moves beyond simplified narratives that portray technology as either purely empowering or inherently threatening, and instead reflects the more complex emotional reality of digital transformation.

From Interviews to Empirical Evidence

To capture this complexity, the researchers employed a mixed-method design.

In the first stage, qualitative interviews were conducted with employees in smart hotels where automation and robotics are already integrated into daily routines. Many participants described how AI reduced repetitive tasks and improved operational efficiency. Yet several also voiced unease about long-term career stability, particularly in front-line positions where automation is highly visible. These firsthand accounts informed the development of the study’s conceptual model.

In the second stage, the research team surveyed 328 employees from 19 chain hotels. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed relationships. The results offered clear empirical support for both pathways: AIRA positively predicted active learning, which enhanced work performance; it also positively predicted job insecurity, which intensified work stress.

A key contribution of the study lies in demonstrating, with empirical evidence, that technological awareness produces both enhancement and strain effects. Rather than offsetting one another, these effects coexist and must be managed together.

The Role of Proactive Personality

The study further examined whether proactive personality, defined as a tendency to take initiative and anticipate change, shapes how employees respond to AI awareness.

Consistent with expectations, employees with stronger proactive traits were more likely to translate AIRA into active learning. For them, technological change represented an opportunity to engage rather than a threat to avoid. However, the pattern was more complicated regarding insecurity. The results indicate that proactive personality does not automatically buffer negative reactions. In fact, the relationship between AIRA and job insecurity became stronger among highly proactive individuals. Those who closely monitor industry developments and performance standards may be particularly sensitive to technological competition.

This finding challenges the assumption that initiative alone shields employees from anxiety in times of change. Personal disposition interacts with technological context in ways that are not always straightforward.

Rethinking AI Management in Hospitality

For hospitality organizations undergoing digital transformation, the findings carry practical significance.

Introducing AI systems is not merely a technical upgrade; it also reshapes employees’ perceptions of their roles. Presenting AI as entirely empowering risks overlooking genuine concerns about security and career progression. Clear communication about role evolution, reskilling pathways, and long-term strategy therefore becomes essential.

At the same time, structured training initiatives can help channel employees’ awareness into constructive development. By investing in digital literacy and continuous learning, hotels can strengthen the positive pathway identified in the study. Complementary measures, such as open dialogue, mentoring arrangements, and participatory decision-making, may help alleviate insecurity and stress. Managing emotional responses is just as important as optimizing technological systems.

Digital transformation, as this research makes evident, is as much about people as it is about platforms and machines.

Advancing Research on Technology and Work

Beyond managerial implications, the study contributes to ongoing academic discussions about technology and employment. It conceptualizes AI awareness as a distinct psychological construct and brings together complementary theoretical perspectives to explain its dual consequences. The mixed-method design adds contextual richness alongside statistical rigor.

Perhaps most importantly, the findings encourage a shift away from binary debates over whether AI is “good” or “bad” for employees. The evidence suggests a more layered reality: awareness of AI can drive improvement while simultaneously provoking anxiety. Recognizing this duality is essential for developing sustainable, people-centered innovation strategies in tourism and hospitality.

– The researchers

David Jiawei Xu is a professional in the hotel industry currently working with the Ahn Lan Hotel Group. His research interests include hotel management and employee behavior.

Virginia Meng-Chan Lau, PhD, is an Assistante Professor at the Faculty of Creative Tourism and Intelligent Technologies at the Macao University of Tourism. Her research interests include organizational and tourist behavior, as well as management in hospitality and tourism.

– The paper

Xu, J.D. & Lau, M.C.V. (2025). The dual impacts of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Awareness (AIRA) on work performance and stress: the moderating role of employee proactivity. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2025.2576817