TY - JOUR
T1 - A tool or a social being? A dynamic longitudinal investigation of functional use and relational use of AI voice assistants
AU - Xu, Shan
AU - Li, Wenbo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - This study integrates two lines of research: technologies as tools and technologies as social beings, under the theoretical framework of dynamic systems, to investigate the reciprocal dynamics between functional use and relational use of artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistants, and the mediating roles of self-disclosure and privacy concerns. A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted among 354 AI voice assistant users across 2 months. Factor analysis results supported the conceptualization and operationalization of functional use and relational use of voice assistants. Results from the cross-lagged panel model confirmed that functional use and relational use reinforced themselves over time, respectively. Relational use increased subsequent functional use, and relational use reinforced itself through self-disclosure. Surprisingly, functional use did not increase subsequent relational use; instead, longitudinal mediation analysis showed that functional use reduced subsequent relational use due to the lack of self-disclosure. Furthermore, while self-disclosure increased subsequent privacy concerns, privacy concerns did not reduce subsequent self-disclosure.
AB - This study integrates two lines of research: technologies as tools and technologies as social beings, under the theoretical framework of dynamic systems, to investigate the reciprocal dynamics between functional use and relational use of artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistants, and the mediating roles of self-disclosure and privacy concerns. A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted among 354 AI voice assistant users across 2 months. Factor analysis results supported the conceptualization and operationalization of functional use and relational use of voice assistants. Results from the cross-lagged panel model confirmed that functional use and relational use reinforced themselves over time, respectively. Relational use increased subsequent functional use, and relational use reinforced itself through self-disclosure. Surprisingly, functional use did not increase subsequent relational use; instead, longitudinal mediation analysis showed that functional use reduced subsequent relational use due to the lack of self-disclosure. Furthermore, while self-disclosure increased subsequent privacy concerns, privacy concerns did not reduce subsequent self-disclosure.
KW - Artificial intelligence
KW - chatbot
KW - human–machine interaction
KW - human–technology interaction
KW - privacy concern
KW - self-disclosure
KW - social penetration
KW - voice assistants
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134288653&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/14614448221108112
DO - 10.1177/14614448221108112
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85134288653
SN - 1461-4448
JO - New Media and Society
JF - New Media and Society
ER -