Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) for Intelligent Process Automation

Intelligent process automation is a technological innovation that combines symbolic automation tools with machine learning. Intelligent process automation can automate complex tasks that otherwise have to be performed by humans when symbolic automation is not powerful enough. Regardless of the high economic potential for companies, the adoption rate in practice is comparatively low. This could be due to the adoption behavior of the employees. In our work, we iteratively develop a Unified Theory of Acceptance and use of Technology (UTAUT) model for the adoption of intelligent process automation and evaluate it with an empirical study. With our research we want to empower designers to adapt the corresponding tools in the future to increase adoption. The study shows that, in addition to established factors for technology adoption, trust, transparency, and attitude towards technology are primary decision factors