Green Creative Behaviors in Robotics: Human Employees Trump AI in Pro-Environmental Intentions

Strategic Insights -

As the use of AI in service industries and the emphasis on sustainability continue to grow, researchers at Xihua University have investigated how human employees and AI robot employees influence customer pro-environmental behavioral intentions. The study, supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), found that human employees' green creative behaviors have a greater impact on customers' intentions to engage in pro-environmental behaviors compared to AI robot employees. Furthermore, the study discovered that highly anthropomorphic AI robot employees can elicit greater moral identity centrality in customers, leading to an even stronger enhancement of pro-environmental behavioral intention.

Key Takeaways:

  • Human employees' green creative behaviors trigger higher customer pro-environmental behavioral intention compared to AI robot employees (Study 1, n = 181).
  • The effect of human employees' green creative behavior on customer pro-environmental behavioral intention is mediated by customer moral identity centrality (Study 2, n = 167).
  • Highly anthropomorphic AI robot employees elicit greater moral identity centrality in customers, resulting in an even stronger enhancement of their pro-environmental behavioral intention than behaviors displayed by less anthropomorphic robots (Study 3, n = 195).
  • The research enriches our understanding of the impact of green creative behavior from the customer perspective and provides insights into the antecedents of customer pro-environmental behavioral intention.
  • The study contributes to the growing body of research on the role of human employees and AI in influencing customer behavior and decision-making.

Statistics:

  • Study 1: 181 participants were involved in the investigation of the effect of employee green creative behavior (EGCB) on customer pro-environmental behavior intentions.
  • Study 2: 167 participants were used to investigate the mediating role of moral identity centrality in the relationship between EGCB and customer pro-environmental behavioral intention.
  • Study 3: 195 participants were assessed to evaluate the differential impacts of highly anthropomorphic AI robot employees versus their less anthropomorphic counterparts on customer pro-environmental behavioral intentions, mediated by moral identity centrality.
  • The research received financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

Sources:

  • Green Sparks: Do Ai Robot or Human Employees Better Ignite Customer Pro-environmental Behavioral Intention? Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 2025.
  • VerticalNews. New Findings on Robotics from Xihua University Summarized (Green Sparks: Do Ai Robot or Human Employees Better Ignite Customer Pro-environmental Behavioral Intention?). Marketing Weekly News. October 18, 2025; p 126.
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)