The Impact of Gender Stereotypes on Technology Perception. An Experimental Approach on Virtual Assistants

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI), one of the most provoking topics nowadays, implies human-like intelligence. In the endeavor to make technology as human as possible, gender specific features attached to the machines become of foremost importance. As the existing literature in this domain is still in its infancy, the present paper aims to investigate the way a virtual assistant is perceived from the points of view of competence, trust, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and behavioral intention. A 2x2 online survey-based experimental design is applied. The stimulus used is fourfold: a female virtual assistant assigned with a female specific task, a male virtual assistant assigned with a female specific task, a female virtual assistant assigned with a male specific task, and a male virtual assistant assigned with a male specific task. The results indicate differences between groups with a general preference for the male virtual assistant assigned with a male specific task. Hence, gender role stereotypes are still prevalent, and they need to be further investigated.