Influencing factors and consequences of chatbot initial trust in AI telecommunication services: a study on Generation Z

Purpose Chatbots emerge as a prominent trend within the context of evolving communication settings and enhancing customer experience to improve firms' total quality management strategies. Specifically, users’ initial trust in such chatbots is critical for their adoption. Under the realm of technology acceptance theories, the present research aims to investigate drivers (perceived ease of use, performance expectancy, compatibility, social influence and technology anxiety) and impacts (customer experience and chatbot usage intention) of chatbot initial trust, among Generation Z considered as the more tech-savvy generation, in the particular telecommunication services context. Design/methodology/approach Research data were collected using an online questionnaire-based survey to test research hypotheses. A sample of 385 students was selected in Tunisia using a convenience sampling technique. Data were then analyzed through structural equation modeling by AMOS 23. Findings The results highlighted that, except for perceived ease of use and performance expectancy, all determinants have a significant influence on chatbot initial trust (positive impact of social influence and compatibility and negative impact of technology anxiety). Furthermore, chatbot initial trust positively stimulates customer experience with chatbots and chatbot intention of use. Practical implications Our results provide particular insights to chatbot developers seeking to enhance trust-building features in these systems and telecommunication operators to better understand user adoption and improve chatbot-based customer interactions among Generation Z in emergent markets. Originality/value This paper attempts to consolidate and enrich the existing body of chatbot initial trust literature by emphasizing the role of customer experience with chatbots and technology anxiety, as two pivotal consumer-related factors that have not yet been treated together in one research.