How artificial intelligence reshapes the role of service professionals in the process of value co-creation: preliminary evidence from a qualitative study

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the process of service delivery. Unlike other technologies, AI is not only an add-on to traditional processes but can also function as a partner in service delivery. For this reason, scholars have started to investigate the process of value co-creation and the role of AI when sharing and integrating resources with customers and professionals during the service delivery. Recent studies on AI-enabled value co-creation have primarily examined the role of customers in this process. However, the role of professionals—those who directly interact with and leverage AI in service delivery—remains underexplored, highlighting a gap that warrants further research. We investigated this research question by studying the adoption of AI by a nursing home. We considered this field of research particularly insightful and suitable for our research questions for two reasons. First, healthcare is one of the most investigated and promising sectors for AI adoption. Second, the shortage of personnel has led the national healthcare systems to introduce technologies for supporting professionals in daily activities.