Bernd H. Schmitt

About

Bernd H. Schmitt is a leading scholar at the intersection of consumer psychology, artificial intelligence, and human-robot interaction, with a growing body of work that has reshaped how researchers and practitioners think about technology-driven consumer experiences. His most cited contribution, "Transforming the Customer Experience through New Technologies" (2020, 957 citations), established a comprehensive framework for understanding how emerging technologies — including IoT, AR, VR, and AI-powered chatbots and robots — are fundamentally redefining consumer engagement. Schmitt's research has been particularly influential in exploring the psychological dynamics between humans and robots, investigating phenomena such as the uncanny valley effect, with his 2019 study on anthropomorphized consumer robots garnering 468 citations. He has also tackled complex questions around speciesism as a barrier to AI adoption, cognitive enhancement and dehumanization, and consumer responses to algorithmic decision-making. As the Robert D. Calkins Professor at Columbia Business School, Schmitt bridges rigorous academic inquiry with managerial relevance, asking bold questions about identity, intelligence, and what it means to be human in an increasingly automated world. His work is essential reading for anyone studying the future of consumer behavior and human-technology relationships.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Transforming the Customer Experience through New Technologies

   957 citations · 2020
2. 2
   Eliza in the uncanny valley: anthropomorphizing consumer robots increases their perceived warmth but decreases liking

   468 citations · 2019
3. 3
   Speciesism: an obstacle to AI and robot adoption

   118 citations · 2019
4. 4
   Human or Robot? Consumer Responses to Radical Cognitive Enhancement Products

   79 citations · 2019
5. 5
   Unveiling the Mind of the Machine

   50 citations · 2023
6. 6
   Are You Ready for Robot Colleagues?

   6 citations · 2018
7. 7
   Robot Or Human? How Bodies and Minds Shape Consumer Reactions to Human-Like Robots

   3 citations · 2019
8. 8
   Unveiling the Mind of the Machine

   3 citations · 2023
9. 9
   Sensuality and experience

   2 citations · 2020
10. 10
    Human Or Robot? the Uncanny Valley in Consumer Robots

    2 citations · 2018

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links