Chasing the Chatbots: Directions for Interaction and Design Research

Big tech-players have been successful in pushing the chatbots forward. Investments in the technology are growing fast, as well as the number of users and applications available. Instead of driving investments towards a successful diffusion of the technology, user-centred studies are currently chasing the popularity of chatbots. A literature analysis evidences how recent this research topic is, and the predominance of technical challenges rather than understanding users’ perceptions, expectations and contexts of use. Looking for answers to interaction and design questions raised in 2007, when the presence of clever computers in everyday life had been predicted for the year 2020, this paper presents a panorama of the recent literature, revealing gaps and pointing directions for further user-centred research

Having a Chatbot as a Colleague

Research on digital technologies can provide valuable insight as the digital transformation area continues to grow. Chatbots have received a massively increasing interest in the latest year. The implementation of a chatbot can affect the human customer service advisor's workday. Previous research focuses on different aspects of the chatbot from an organizational or customer perspective. However, there is limited prior research that provides insight into how the chatbot affects the employees. Hence, the thesis had an exploratory approach using the Gioia method to discuss the chatbot's effects by conducting in-depth interviews with customer service advisors in a collaborative Norwegian bank. A new framework was created based on the findings. The chatbot affects the customer service advisors in two dimensions, narrowed down in six categories: (1) it leads to a change in tasks, (2) it affects efficiency, (3) how the chatbot's limited skills can cause frustration, (4) feeling of job security, (5) the degree of ownership the employee has, and (6) how the chatbot is perceived as a colleague rather than a competitor. Based on these findings, a discussion on how the chatbot changes the customer service advisors’ role and how it affects the relationship with the chatbot is elaborated. Then, based on the discussion, theoretical propositions are given to each of the categories from the findings. Finally, a framework, conclusion, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided. The primary contribution of this thesis is to extend the insight into how chatbot affects customer service advisors in the banking industry, as it can be valuable both for the advisor and the organization's business performance

Having a Chatbot as a Colleague

Research on digital technologies can provide valuable insight as the digital transformation area continues to grow. Chatbots have received a massively increasing interest in the latest year. The implementation of a chatbot can affect the human customer service advisor's workday. Previous research focuses on different aspects of the chatbot from an organizational or customer perspective. However, there is limited prior research that provides insight into how the chatbot affects the employees. Hence, the thesis had an exploratory approach using the Gioia method to discuss the chatbot's effects by conducting in-depth interviews with customer service advisors in a collaborative Norwegian bank. A new framework was created based on the findings. The chatbot affects the customer service advisors in two dimensions, narrowed down in six categories: (1) it leads to a change in tasks, (2) it affects efficiency, (3) how the chatbot's limited skills can cause frustration, (4) feeling of job security, (5) the degree of ownership the employee has, and (6) how the chatbot is perceived as a colleague rather than a competitor. Based on these findings, a discussion on how the chatbot changes the customer service advisors’ role and how it affects the relationship with the chatbot is elaborated. Then, based on the discussion, theoretical propositions are given to each of the categories from the findings. Finally, a framework, conclusion, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided. The primary contribution of this thesis is to extend the insight into how chatbot affects customer service advisors in the banking industry, as it can be valuable both for the advisor and the organization's business performance

ChatGPT Unveiled: Unleashing AI Magic in Online Shopping and Digital Marketing

This research paper explores the use of AI, specifically ChatGPT, in interactive activities within online shopping and digital marketing. The paper examines the potential of AI-powered chatbots to enhance customer engagement, personalization, and marketing effectiveness. Through a literature review, case studies, and user feedback analysis, the research highlights the benefits of AI chatbots in providing real-time assistance, personalized recommendations, and improved customer experiences. The paper also addresses ethical and privacy concerns associated with AI implementation and discusses future research directions. The findings are expected to suggest that AI-powered chatbots have the potential to revolutionize online shopping and digital marketing by offering enhanced customer engagement, optimizing marketing strategies, and addressing customer needs. E-commerce preferences of human-mediated services to technologymediated ones regarding the application of AI in frontline services will be examined

The Role of Technical and Process Quality of Chatbots: A Case Study from the Insurance Industry

Artificial intelligence (AI) influences customer service through benefits, such as reliability, availability, and economic efficiency. However, AI applications also involve challenges of user acceptance and quality concerns. To address these challenges, we investigate the factors that impact AI preference and adoption among users of a chatbot in a real customer service scenario. We focus on Emma, a customer service chatbot at a large Finnish insurance company. Our analysis, based on an online survey administered to 225 consumers using the chatbot for their customer service needs, shows that customers are reasonably satisfied with Emma, though they are generally do not prefer AI over a human. Users’ perceived process quality relating to “soft” aspects of interaction is quintessential in strengthening technical quality relating to effectiveness and efficiency of service, both contributing to AI preference. Thus, the chatbot’s problem-solving ability acts as a hygiene factor, which alone cannot ensure adoption. As a pleasing and useful interaction is prerequisite for user experience, organizations should consider both technical and process quality when implementing chatbots in customer service

Artificial intelligence applied to marketing management: Trends and projections according to specialists

Marketing Management is one of the areas that has been progressively integrating artificial intelligence systems, and the pace of the development of intelligent software that is very useful for marketing seems not to slow down. In fact, the growth and sophistication of technological systems promise to increase even more, which will inevitably affect operations as well as management and planning. In an attempt to assess and measure the expected impacts of AI on marketing departments in the short / medium term, a Delphi was carried out. Thereby, a panel of 21 marketing specialists (13 Portuguese and 8 international) was gathered, which was asked to evaluate on a Likert scale a series of statements, and to comment and debate among them. In this case it was a Real Time Delphi since the study was conducted using an online platform, which allowed all comments to be immediately available and visible to all participants. With this exploratory study, it was possible to conclude that the areas that are expected to be helped by intelligent systems to a greater extent – this is, the areas that will assist the automation of more operations - are customer recognition , market segmentation, sales forecasting and programmatic communication. On the other hand, the two most controversial statements among experts - thus risky to draw lessons - were statements regarding the autonomous operation of website adjustments and developments, as well as the adoption of intelligent systems to support strategic and strategic decision-making.A Gestão de Marketing é uma das áreas que tem vindo progressivamente a integrar sistemas de inteligência artificial, e a cadência do desenvolvimento de softwares inteligentes com grande utilidade para parece não abrandam. Na verdade, o crescimento e o grau de sofisticação dos sistemas tecnológicos prometem aumentar cada vez mais, o que promete afetar a vários níveis as operações e até a definição de estratégias de marketing e de gestão. Na tentativa de avaliar e medir os impactos da inteligência artificial nos departamentos de marketing no curto/médio prazo, procedeu-se à realização de um Delphi. Para isso reuniu-se um painel de 21 especialistas na área do marketing e da inteligência artificial (13 portugueses e 8 internacionais), ao qual foi colocada uma série de afirmações para que fossem avaliadas numa escala de Likert, comentadas e debatidas. Neste caso tratou-se de um Real Time Delphi uma vez que o estudo foi realizado recorrendo a uma plataforma online, o que permitiu que todos comentários ficassem imediatamente disponíveis e visíveis a todos os participantes. Com este estudo, de cariz marcadamente exploratório, concluiu-se que as áreas que se esperam vir a ser auxiliadas por sistemas inteligentes em maior medida – ou seja, as áreas que assistirão à automatização de um maior número de operações – são o reconhecimento do cliente, segmentação de mercado, previsão de vendas e comunicação programática. Por outro lado, os temas que mais controvérsia geraram entre os especialistas – sendo pouco seguro retirar ilações – referem-se à operação autónoma de ajustes e desenvolvimentos de websites, bem como à adoção de sistemas inteligentes para servirem de apoio à tomada de decisões estratégicas e de planeamento