Virtual Booth

Virtual assistants have become a core component of digital customer service systems; however, users frequently experience emotional, cognitive, and interactional challenges when engaging with AI-driven services. Addressing this gap, this study introduces Perceived Digital Friction, a conceptual framework that captures the emotional, cognitive, and psychological discomfort experienced during AI-mediated service communication. Using a qualitative approach, real-time user interactions with AirAsia’s virtual assistant, AskBo, were analysed through thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s framework, focusing on communication disruptions, emotional cues, and patterns of user frustration. The findings reveal three dominant dimensions of digital friction: (i) Emotional Disconnection and Frustration, (ii) Cognitive Overload and Navigation Difficulty, and (iii) Contextual Conditions Influencing Perceived Helpfulness. Building on these insights, this study proposes Human–AI Service Co-Management Guidelines, an applied innovation that integrates AI avatars in video-style interactions with human oversight to reduce digital friction, enhance service responsiveness, and improve overall user experience. This innovation enables AI to handle routine queries while seamlessly escalating complex or emotionally sensitive interactions to human agents, creating a dynamic, co-managed service environment. The study contributes theoretically by advancing understanding of human–AI interaction and practically by providing industry-oriented, AI-powered, video-enhanced guidelines for optimising virtual assistant performance in airline customer service.