A Technology Acceptance Perspective on Chatbot Adoption: Perceived Human-Likeness and Emotional Response

Considering recent AI-driven advancements, conversational agents (chatbots) have become fundamental to digital interactions, requiring an assessment of determinants impacting their adoption. This study investigates the effect of anthropomorphism and technology anxiety on chatbot adoption. This study investigates the effects of anthropomorphism and technology anxiety on perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), and usage intention in the context of chatbot services. Data were collected via an online survey administered to 280 Tunisian higher education students. Using structural equation modeling with Smart PLS4, the findings confirm the crucial role of (PU) and (PEOU) in predicting usage intention. In contrast, anthropomorphism and anxiety do not significantly influence adoption. These results contribute to the literature by demonstrating that, despite heightened interest in human-likeness and psychological reactions to AI chatbots, traditional cognitive factors remain the primary drivers of chatbot service adoption.