Iowa State University Ivy College of Business

ALT Imagine losing your credit card, logging into your bank's website for help and being greeted by a virtual customer service representative who looks and sounds exactly like actor Hugh Jackman. The person helping you isn't actually the Hollywood star — it’s his AI-powered digital twin. And new research suggests that familiar face could significantly improve how you perceive your customer service experience. “When people see the familiar face of a famous person they like, there’s a halo effect,” said Lingyao (Ivy) Yuan, associate professor of information systems and business analytics in Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business. “The positive feelings they have about that person can carry over to how they view the service, even before it begins.”