Papers
7
Total Citations
300
H-Index
6
About
Kate Letheren is a prominent researcher specializing in artificial intelligence, service robotics, and consumer behavior, with particular expertise in how humans interact with AI-driven technologies in service environments. Her work sits at a compelling intersection of marketing, technology ethics, and organizational behavior, making her a significant voice in shaping how we understand our increasingly automated future. Letheren's most influential contribution, "Robots should be seen and not heard…sometimes" (2021, 140 citations), established critical theoretical frameworks for understanding consumer preferences in AI domestic service robot interactions — work that has become essential reading in the field. Her broader examinations of AI's societal implications, including her widely cited commentary on technology's dystopian versus utopian potential (67 citations), demonstrate her ability to engage both academic and practitioner audiences meaningfully. Particularly noteworthy is her sustained investigation into service robot impacts on human well-being — exploring how robots affect frontline employees, reshape customer-staff dynamics, and can even deter deviant consumer behavior. Her "Robotic-Human Service Trilemma" framework (2023) represents an important conceptual advance for understanding workplace well-being amid automation. With a growing citation record exceeding 300 across her core works, Letheren's research offers indispensable guidance for businesses, policymakers, and scholars navigating the ethical and practical complexities of human-robot collaboration.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Black, white or grey magic? Our future with artificial intelligence67 citations · 2020
- 3Reducing deviant consumer behaviour with service robot guardians39 citations · 2022
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- 7The Evolution Is Now: Service Robots, Behavioral Bias and Emotions6 citations · 2020