Anthropomorphism and Familiarity in AI Adoption

Artificial intelligence (AI) based chatbots have significantly transformed the landscape of AI-driven services. This chapter examines the fundamental determinants influencing the intention to adopt chatbots in the telecommunication services context. Specifically, it investigates the influence of familiarity, anthropomorphism, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness on chatbot usage intention. Data were collected via an online survey administrated to 321 Tunisian higher education students. The hypotheses were tested with Smart PLS4. The findings indicate that anthropomorphism and perceived usefulness positively influence chatbot adoption, whereas ease of use has no effect, and familiarity exerts a negative impact. Additionally, anthropomorphism enhances both usefulness and ease of use, while familiarity does not. These results offer valuable insights for marketers, particularly in the telecommunications sector, by enhancing the understanding of factors driving user adoption. This chapter contributes to the growing body of literature on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).