Factors Affecting Customer Readiness to Trust Chatbots in an Online Shopping Context

Abstract

This study expands the limited research on chatbots by integrating factors from the unified technology acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model and the technology readiness index (TRI) framework to explain individuals' trust in chatbots within an online shopping context. According to our findings, customer readiness characteristics (innovativeness and optimism) positively affect customers' expectations of chatbots (effort expectations as well as performance expectations), whereas discomfort negatively impacts effort expectations but does not significantly affect performance expectations. In addition, our results indicate that customers' expectancy characteristics of chatbots will positively impact their trust in this technology. These outcomes highlight the importance of an individual's personality and his expectations of the chatbots which will lead to his trust in this technology within the online shopping context. The results provide insights into building trust in chatbots, thus increasing customer willingness to use them.