The Influence of Public Expectations on Simulated Emotional Perceptions of AI-Driven Government Chatbots: A Moderated Study

This study focuses on the impact of technological changes, particularly the development of generative artificial intelligence, on government–citizen interactions in the context of government services. From a psychological perspective with an emphasis on technological governance theory and emotional contagion theory, it examines public perceptions of the simulated emotions of governmental chatbots and investigates the moderating role of age. Data were collected through a multi-stage stratified purposive sampling method, yielding 194 valid responses from an original distribution of 300 experimental questionnaires between 24 September and 13 October 2023. The findings reveal that public expectations significantly enhance the simulated emotional perception of chatbots, with this effect being stronger among older individuals. Age shows significant main and interaction effects, indicating that different age groups perceive the simulated emotional capabilities of chatbots differently. This study highlights the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence on government–citizen interactions and the importance of integrating AI technology into government services. It calls for governments to pay attention to public perceptions of the simulated emotions of governmental chatbots to enhance public experience.