Exploring the effect of perceived empathy and social presence on the intention to use AI in higher education

Existing studies that examine the determinants of acceptance and use of health chatbots have often reported inconsistent results. These studies have also predominantly focused on utilitarian factors (such as usefulness and ease of use) to explain health chatbot use behavior. This study examined how human-social characteristics of health chatbots influence user perceptions and continuous use intentions. A research model was deductively developed using inferences from prior studies. A survey questionnaire was employed to gather responses from 348 respondents. The results from the partial least square structure equation modeling analysis revealed that perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use are significant predictors of continuous use intentions. Also, perceived social presence, perceived attractiveness, and perceived ease of use, significantly influence perceived enjoyment and perceived liking. The findings emphasize that both human-social characteristics influence users to appreciate the functionality and utility of health chatbots which consequently motivates continuous use intentions.