The effects of loneliness, self-esteem, perceived risk, and perceived threat on users’ willingness to use AI chatbots

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping social relationships and actively participating in social interaction. AI chatbots such as Apple Siri, XiaoIce, and Xeva are specifically designed to foster emotional engagement and simulate close relationships with users, extending human social relationships to human-machine interactions. A survey study was conducted to examine the effects of loneliness, self-esteem, perceived risk, and perceived threat on users’ willingness to use AI chatbots from the perspective of parasocial relationship theory. The findings showed that loneliness positively affects users' willingness to use AI chatbots, while perceived risk and perceived threat negatively affect users’ willingness. Furthermore, parasocial relationships serve as a mediating mechanism in these dynamics. To enhance the quality of human-AI interactions, it is crucial to innovate AI technologies to better meet users' social needs while maintaining appropriate boundaries to foster healthy parasocial relationships.