Investigating the Effects of Perceived Autonomy in Chatbot Advertising

Abstract

The use of chatbots in advertising has gained significant attention recently due to the advancements in artificial intelligence. To obtain some insights on chatbot advertising effectiveness, this study examined the role of perceived autonomy on consumers’ perceptions with chatbot advertising interfaces. Through two experimental studies, results showed that chatbots elicited a lower level of perceived autonomy compared to the website interface, which decreased consumers’ perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the chatbots, and further influenced satisfaction and product attitude. In addition, this negative effect could be mitigated by anthropomorphizing the chatbot as a servant to consumers. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings were discussed.