Study Finds Preference for AI Chatbots in Embarrassing Health Discussions
Researchers at the University of Kansas have found that individuals express a preference for AI chatbots when discussing health information they find embarrassing. However, when experiencing anger, they prefer to interact with a human.
This research could inform health marketers in the design of technology that better serves people’s needs.
COVID- Era Context
The research, borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic, examined how people reacted to information, misinformation, and mandates around vaccines.
“I am interested in how AI information versus human-provided information influences people’s decisions. We thought the COVID-19 pandemic was an ideal way to look at this question,” said Vaibhav Diwanji, assistant professor of journalism & mass communications at KU and lead author of the study.
Research Methodology
The study involved a lab-based experiment where participants’ attitudes toward vaccines were gauged. Participants were exposed to content designed to evoke anger or embarrassment, and were assigned either AI or human assistance.
“Eye-tracking technology is a good way of tracking people’s emotions without explicitly asking them how they are feeling, which may be difficult for people sometimes to express verbally what they’re feeling,” Diwanji said.
Key Findings
Participants who reported feeling embarrassed preferred chatbots. Those who were feeling angry preferred human interaction. This highlights the advantages of both AI and human interactions in helping health professionals and marketers connect effectively with individuals based on their emotional state regarding health topics.
“Chatbots can be perceived to be nonjudgmental, and people said they preferred that when they were feeling embarrassed,” Diwanji said.
Implications
Diwanji also noted the growing sophistication and pervasiveness of AI. “AI is getting more and more sophisticated and so pervasive that it can’t be ignored. Is it replacing human agents? Not really, but it is important for health professionals and marketers to make sure they are using it ethically. And we live in an age of personalization, so building technology that more deeply connects with people is vital. AI is not just a new trend, and marketers should not just dive in because they can but use it in a way that people like.”
This study, published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, was conducted in KU’s Center for Excellence in Health Communications to Underserved Populations.
Diwanji’s group, Immersion-Computation-Expression, also includes Mugur Geana and other graduate students. Future research will examine human vs AI-generated social media content influences consumer decisions.
“In an increasingly digital and emotionally aware world, researchers and marketers will need to blend technology with emotional insight. The ability to understand, respond to and leverage emotions like anger and embarrassment will not just improve consumer satisfaction but also create humanized experiences that build long-term relationships with consumers,” Diwanji said.
