Gendered AI as scaffolding: Human–AI entanglement and dehumanization of customer service work

Place : Room 3.216 - Grand Paris Campus & online
Time : 12.00-1.30 PM 

Speaker : Katja Einola, Associate Professor, Department of Management & Organization at Stockholm School of Economics & Ysé Brisson, Business Manager VR4GOOD
 

Our study explores the evolving entanglement of an AI-powered chatbot and employees within a financial services company. We critically examine the visual and conversational transformation of a chatbot – a virtual customer service agent – as it evolves from a distinctly feminized visual representation to a “bot-like” design, while adopting servile human-like conversational behaviors. This progression ultimately results in the chatbot’s visual and behavioral dehumanization once the AI technology the chatbot is built on is advanced enough to stand on its own. Drawing on gender and technology studies, we trace the dual dynamics of humanizing/gendering and dehumanizing/ungendering of AI-driven customer service. We contribute to research by developing the concepts of gendered AI as scaffolding and human-augmented AI in customer service to theorize how AI technology and employees become entangled in a process towards automated customer self-service. We uncover a gendered dehumanizing trajectory in this transformation when not only human beings, but also human representation is gradually erased from customer service roles in an increasingly technologized workplace, organization, and society. 

For further information, please contact Professor Margherita Pagani: margherita.pagani@skema.edu