Marketing Research Seminar Spring May 2026
AI, Education, and the Changing Nature of Work
AI is reshaping the nature of work, not merely by automating tasks, but by redefining the boundaries of professions. This talk examines how AI systems augment human capabilities and change the profile of skills expected from professionals. Rather than a simple narrative of job displacement, the discussion highlights a more complex transition in which routine expertise is increasingly encoded into algorithms, while human capacities such as critical reasoning, judgment, and creativity become more central. By situating current developments within broader historical shifts in technology and labor, the talk offers perspectives on the evolving meaning of expertise and the future of professional work in an
AI-driven world.
Why AI Robot Chefs Backfire and Beyond: Consumer Responses to AI in Marketing
Despite the growing use of AI-powered robots in service settings, consumers exhibit psychological hesitation toward AI robot chefs. This research examines how and why consumers adversely react to AI robot chefs in the culinary context. Across four experiments, we demonstrate that robot chef representation leads to lower purchase intentions, mediated by perceived unexpectedness and creepiness. This negative response is stronger for healthy foods but attenuated for unhealthy foods, and individuals with a growth (vs. fixed) mindset are more open to the AI robot chef. The presenter willalso discuss related work examining how AI disclosure, virtual influencers, and digital technologies shape consumer responses in marketing communication contexts.
