Designing Voice Assistants as Chameleons: The Effect of Verbal Mimicry by Voice Assistants on Users' Exploration Intention

ABSTRACT Despite the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI)‐powered voice assistants (VAs) in modern daily life, a significant portion of their functions remains underutilized by users. We identify verbal mimicry as an important design element of VAs that stimulates users' exploration intentions. Four studies, including a test with data from real user–VA interactions and three online experiments, reveal that verbal mimicry by VAs can increase users' exploration intention. Perceived self‐integration is the key underlying mechanism driving this effect. Additionally, AIs' social role moderates the relationship between verbal mimicry and users' exploration intention. Specifically, the positive effect of verbal mimicry by VAs diminishes when the VAs are positioned as partners. This research contributes to the literature by providing a novel perspective on user–VA interactions, while offering practical implications for firms to increase their value gain from VAs.