AI in the Workplace: Exploring Chatbot Use and Users’ Emotions

Abstract

The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in organisations is growing rapidly. In this study, we focus on Chatbots as one type of AI applications in the workplace. Chatbots differ from traditional organisational ICTs in many aspects including machine learning and exhibiting social presence. These characteristics motivate us to explore the role of emotions on chatbot use in the workplace. Following a case study approach and collecting rich qualitative data, the research identifies the different emotions involved in chatbot use in the workplace and their effect on employees’ use behaviour. The findings surprisingly highlight that excitement, hope and playfulness in addition to empathy towards the chatbot offset the negative emotions of frustration experienced when getting wrong results and propel users to continue their use. The social presence of the chatbot and its potential to learn infuses a more tolerant forgiving user behaviour towards the chatbot. The study theoretically contributes to the understanding of chatbot adoption and use in organisations and informs research into the adoption, use and design of this new class of technology. Further research is encouraged to take the findings of this study and test them on a large sample of employees.