Abstract
The technological development of recent years has impacted the way companies, workers, and customers organize and interact with each other. Food retail stands out amongst the most affected sectors. New technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), lead to the emergence of a new retail concept, Smart Retailing, bringing benefits, not only for the retailer, but also for the consumer. In addition, they impact the jobs, in particular, store assistants' job. Despite the growing academic interest in these topics, the acceptance and impact of AI-based solutions on store assistants is scarcely studied. This work aims, therefore, to study the acceptance and perception of AI-based solutions by store assistants in food retail. Qualitative research was performed, having carried out 20 interviews with food retail store assistants that already work with AI-based solutions. Results show that store assistants are aware of what AI is and in which solutions it is used. They perceive these solutions as being beneficial for the performance of their duties, complementing their work instead of replacing them. They are willing to use these solutions and perceive them as being easy and intuitive to use. This study contributes with a starting point for future research on the topic. © 2023 IEEE.

Abstract
Digital transformation has been taking place for several decades in different sectors of activity and is contributing significantly to mitigating the environmental impacts of those sectors. Various digital solutions are related to energy consumption and production, which is crucial to ensure continuous decarbonisation. Most of them are targeted to be used by general consumers. Therefore, it is essential to consider consumers' attitudes towards those solutions and their adoption behaviour to ensure a broad diffusion of them. This study uses the Technology Acceptance Model to understand the adoption of energy-related digital solutions in Europe. We conclude that the perceived usefulness of the solutions is more relevant in attitude formation than the perceived ease of use. Moreover, attitude highly influences adoption behaviour, as reported in the literature. Finally, these relations seem to be highly influenced by the belief that, by adopting digital solutions, consumers contribute to a better balance between energy supply and demand.

Abstract