Unveiling the Impact of AI-Chatbot Attributes and Anthropomorphic Cues in E-Commerce
Keywords:
AI chatbots, customer adoption, E-Commerce, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived trust, anthropomorphic cues.Abstract
The rise of AI chatbots in e-commerce has revolutionized digital customer service, yet understanding the factors influencing customer adoption remains a challenge. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model 2 and Anthropomorphism theory, the study aims to examine how human-like interaction elements can enhance trust and usability, leading to greater customer engagement with AI chatbots in e-commerce. A quantitative approach was employed, involving a sample of 423 respondents from Malaysia who interacted with AI chatbots on e-commerce platforms. Data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings revealed that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) have a significant direct influence on customer adoption, where PU became the strongest predictor, followed by PEOU. Perceived trust showed no direct influence, but strongly predicted anthropomorphic cues which in turn had a direct positive influence on customer adoption and indirect positive influence as a mediator between trust and adoption. The variable perceived trust (PT) showed no direct influence on adoption; instead, anthropomorphic cues and a strong mediating effect by anthropomorphic features such as emotional expressions and human-like communication enhance user experience, build trust, and drive adoption. This research highlights the originality of the study, which clearly explains that functional attributes (PU and PEOU) are not solely determined by adoption but are carefully designed by the mediating variable of anthropomorphic features. These insights are critical for e-commerce businesses and AI developers in designing chatbots that foster customer trust, usability, and satisfaction. The study contributes to the academic discourse on AI adoption and offers practical strategies for optimizing chatbot-human interaction in digital commerce.
References
Abdullah, M. F., Ibrahim, M. A., Bahtar, A. Z., & Khan, N. R. M. (2024). Conceptualizing the implications of artificial intelligence (ai) tools and personalization marketing on consumer purchase intention: insights from the Malaysian e-commerce market. Information Management and Business Review, 16(3S(I)a), 430-436. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v16i3S(I)a.4145
Ahmad, N., Alias, F. A., Hamat, M., & Mohamed, S. A. (2024). Reliability analysis: application of Cronbach’s alpha in research instruments. Pioneering the Future: Delving into E‐Learning's Landscape, 114-119.
Alboqami, H. (2023). Factors affecting consumers' adoption of AI-based chatbots: The role of anthropomorphism. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 13(4), 195-214. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2023.134014
Al-Oraini, B. S. (2025). Chatbot dynamics: Trust, social presence, and customer satisfaction in AI-driven services. Journal of Innovative Digital Transformation, 3(1), 26-
45. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIDT-08-2024-0022
Al-Shafei, M. (2025). Navigating human-chatbot interactions: an investigation into factors influencing user satisfaction and engagement. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 41(1), 411-428. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2301252
Alshammari, S. H., & Rosli, M. S. (2020). A review of technology acceptance models and theories. Innovative Teaching and Learning Journal, 4(2), 12-22.
Ashfaq, M., Yun, J., Yu, S., & Loureiro, S. M. C. (2020). I, Chatbot: Modeling the determinants of users' satisfaction and continuance intention of AI-powered service agents. Telematics and informatics, 54, 101473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2020.101473
Azli, N. N. A. B. (2023). Examining factors influencing attitude and adoption of chatbots among consumers. Doctoral dissertation, Master's thesis, University Utara Malaysia.
Azli, N. N. A. B., Zulkiflee, M. R. B., & Muhammad, A. B. (2023). Examining The Influence of Perceived Usefulness on Attitude Towards Chatbots. Journal on Technical and Vocational Education, 8(2), 99-110.
Bujang, M. A., Sa'at, N., Bakar, T. M. I. T. A., & Joo, L. C. (2018). Sample size guidelines for logistic regression from observational studies with large population: emphasis on the accuracy between statistics and parameters based on real life clinical data. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences, 25(4), 122. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2018.25.4.12
Bukhari, S. A. R. (2021). Sample size determination using Krejcie and Morgan table. Kenya Projects Organization (KENPRO), Kenya.
Chen, J., Guo, F., Ren, Z., Li, M., & Ham, J. (2024). Effects of anthropomorphic design cues of chatbots on users' perception and visual behaviors. International journal of human- computer interaction, 40(14), 3636-3654.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2193514
Cheng, X., Xiao-Ping, Z., Cohen, J., & Mou, J. (2022). Human vs. AI: Understanding the impact of anthropomorphism on consumer response to chatbots from the perspective of trust and relationship norms. Information Processing & Management, 59(3), 102940. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2022.102940
Choung, H., David, P., & Ross, A. (2023). Trust in AI and its role in the acceptance of AI technologies. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 39(9), 1727-1739. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2022.2050543
de Blanes Sebastián, M. G., Sarmiento Guede, J. R., & Antonovica, A. (2022). TAM versus UTAUT models: A contrasting study of scholarly production and its bibliometric analysis. TECHNO REVIEW. International Technology, Science and Society Review, 12(3), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.37467/revtechno.v11.4445
Ding, Y., & Najaf, M. (2024). Interactivity, humanness, and trust: A psychological approach to AI-chatbot adoption in e-commerce. BMC Psychology, 12(595). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02083-z
Følstad, A., & Brandtzaeg, P. B. (2020). Users' experiences with chatbots: findings from a questionnaire study. Quality and User Experience, 5(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41233- 020-00033-2
Gai, Y. (2024). Factors that impact intention to continue using ai-based chatbots in different countries, Doctoral dissertation, Vilniaus universitetas, Lithuania.
Geetha, C., Ayub, M. S., & Chandran, E. V. V. (2024). The Influence of Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Malaysia's Economic Environment. Malaysian Journal of Business and Economics, 11(1), 102-115. https://doi.org/10.51200/mjbe.v11i1.5294
Ghaniabadi, M. (2024). Factors that impact users' attitudes toward chatbots and their intentions to use chatbot in online services. Doctoral dissertation, Vilniaus universitetas, Lithuania.
Goli, M., Sahu, A. K., Bag, S., & Dhamija, P. (2023). Users' Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbots. International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 19(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJTHI.318481
Hamid, I., & Mohamed, M. (2022). Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness and Social Influence as Determinants of Customers' Intention to Use E-Commerce Platform During COVID-19 Pandemic. Jurnal Pengguna Malaysia, 38(2), 154-167.
Hasan, M. R., Chowdhury, N. I., Rahman, M. H., Syed, M. A. B., & Ryu, J. (2023). Analysis of the User Perception of Chatbots in Education Using A Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling Approach. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.03636
Jin, S. V., & Youn, S. (2021). Why do consumers with social phobia prefer anthropomorphic customer service chatbots? Evolutionary explanations of the moderating roles of social phobia. Telematics and Informatics, 62, 101644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101644
Kayyali, M. (2025). Harnessing AI for Digital Entrepreneurship: Strategies and Best Practices. In Improving Entrepreneurial Processes Through Advanced AI (pp. 1-20). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1495-1.ch001
Khan, M. I., Tarofder, A. K., Gopinathan, S., & Haque, A. (2025). Designing Authentic Customer-Chatbot Interactions: A Necessary Condition Analysis of Emotional Intelligence and Anthropomorphic Features in Human-Computer Interaction. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2495118
Kim, J. S., Kim, M., & Baek, T. H. (2025). Enhancing user experience with a generative AI-chatbot. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 41(1), 651-663. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2495118
Klein, K., & Martinez, L. F. (2023). The impact of anthropomorphism on customer satisfaction in chatbot commerce: an experimental study in the food sector. Electronic Commerce Research, 23(4), 2789-2825. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-022-09562-8
Leschanowsky, A., Rech, S., Popp, B., & Bäckström, T. (2024). Evaluating privacy, security, and trust perceptions in conversational AI: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior, 108344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108344
Li, J., Wu, L., Qi, J., Zhang, Y., Wu, Z., & Hu, S. (2023a). Determinants affecting consumer trust in communication with AI chatbots : the moderating effect of privacy concerns. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, 35(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.4018/JOEUC.328089
Li, Q., Luximon, Y., & Zhang, J. (2023b). The influence of anthropomorphic cues on patients' perceived anthropomorphism, social presence, trust building, and acceptance of health care conversational agents: within-subject web-based experiment. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e44479. https://doi.org/10.2196/44479
Li, X., & Sung, Y. (2021). Anthropomorphism brings us closer: The mediating role of psychological distance in User-AI assistant interactions. Computers in Human Behavior, 118, 106680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106680
Li, X., & Wang, Y. (2023). Acceptance of AI in Service Scenarios: The Impact of Chatbot Anthropomorphism on Customers' Willingness to Use Continuously. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCWAMTIP60502.2023.10387095
Liao, T., & Yan, B. (2023). Let's Chat If You Are Unhappy-The Effect of Emotions on Interaction Experience and Trust Toward Empathetic Chatbots. In International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (Vol. 87318, p. V03BT03A057). American Society of Mechanical Engineers. https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2023-115318
Madana Mohana, R., Pitty, N., Lalitha Surya Kumari, P. (2021). Customer Support Chatbot Using Machine Learning. In: Satapathy, S., Zhang, YD., Bhateja, V., Majhi, R. (eds) Intelligent Data Engineering and Analytics. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1177. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5679-1_42
Marjerison, R. K., Dong, H., Kim, J. M., Zheng, H., Zhang, Y., & Kuan, G. (2025). Understanding User Acceptance of AI chatbots in China's E-Commerce: The Roles of Perceived Authenticity, Usefulness, and Risk. Systems, 13(2), 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13020071
Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. (2023). Artificial Intelligence Roadmap 2021-2025. https://mastic.mosti.gov.my/publication/artificial-intelligence-roadmap-2021- 2025/
Mogaji, E., Balakrishnan, J., Nwoba, A. C., & Nguyen, N. P. (2021). Emerging-market consumers' interactions with banking chatbots. Telematics and Informatics, 65, 101711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101711
Mohanna, S., & Basiouni, A. (2024). Consumer's cognitive and affective perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in social media: Topic modelling approach. Journal of Electrical Systems, 20(3), 1317-1326. https://doi.org/10.52783/jes.3539
Mostafa, R. B., & Kasamani, T. (2022). Antecedents and consequences of chatbot initial trust. European journal of marketing, 56(6), 1748-1771. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02- 2020-0084
Muñoz, N., & Kremer, B. A. (2023). The voice era: Future acceptance of digital voice assistants and how they will transform consumers' online purchasing behaviour. Applied Marketing Analytics, 8(3), 255-270. https://doi.org/10.69554/NFKI5781
Muñoz, N., & Kremer, B. A. (2023). The voice era: Future acceptance of digital voice assistants and how they will transform consumers' online purchasing behaviour. Applied Marketing Analytics, 8(3), 255-270. https://doi.org/10.69554/NFKI5781
Nagy, S., & Hajdú, N. (2021). Consumer acceptance of the use of artificial intelligence in online shopping: Evidence from Hungary. Amfiteatru Economic, 23(56), 155-173. https://doi.org/10.24818/EA/2021/56/155
Nze, S. U. (2024). AI-Powered chatbots. Global Journal of Human Resource Management, 12(6), 34-45. https://doi.org/10.37745/gjhrm.2013/vol12n63445
Ocxas, J. J. A., Martin, F. K. C., & Junes, A. N. H. (2024). AI Chatbot with Emotional Recognition for an Improved Customer Service Experience. In 2024 IEEE XXXI International Conference on Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computing (INTERCON) (pp. 1-8). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/INTERCON63140.2024.10833509
Olawuyi, E., & Fadeyi, P. (2024). Enhancing Customer Experience through AI-Driven Chatbots in Customer Relationship Management. Ofuruma: Journal of The Humanities, 4(1 & 2), 147-147.
Pal, D., Babakerkhell, M. D., & Roy, P. (2022). How perceptions of trust and intrusiveness affect the adoption of voice activated personal assistants. IEEE Access, 10, 123094- 123113. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3224236
Placani, A. (2024). Anthropomorphism in AI: hype and fallacy. AI and Ethics, 4(3), 691- 698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-024-00419-4
Prasad, K. V. S., Xavier, L. A., Jain, S., Subba, R., Mittal, S., & Anute, N. (2024). AI- driven chatbots for e-commerce customer support. In 2024 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communication and Applied Informatics (ACCAI) (pp. 1-5). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCAI61061.2024.10602261
Rahevar, M., & Darji, S. (2024). The adoption of AI chatbots into a recommendation for e-commerce systems to targeted customer in the selection of product. International Journal of Management, Economics and Commerce, 1(2), 128-137.
https://doi.org/10.62737/m1vpdq75
Ramki, R., Gopi, V., Markan, R., Natarajan, S., & Rajalakshmi, M. (2024). AI-Powered Chatbots in Customer Service: Impact on Brand Loyalty and Conversion Rates. Economic Sciences, 20(2), 190-203. https://doi.org/10.69889/vs5gtv52
Rapp, A., Boldi, A., Curti, L., Perrucci, A., & Simeoni, R. (2024). How do people ascribe humanness to chatbots? An analysis of real-world human-agent interactions and a theoretical model of humanness. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 40(19), 6027-6050. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2247596
Ren, R., Zapata, M., Castro, J. W., Dieste, O., & Acuña, S. T. (2022). Experimentation for chatbot usability evaluation: A secondary study. IEEE Access, 10, 12430-12464. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3145323
Ryan., Lay, W., Chia, J., & Gui, A. (2024). Transforming E-Commerce: AI Chatbots for Supercharged Customer Experiences. 2024 International Conference on Information Technology Research and Innovation (ICITRI), 299-304.
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICITRI62858.2024.10698874
Saglam, R. B., Nurse, J. R. C., & Hodges, D. (2021). Privacy concerns in chatbot interactions: When to trust and when to worry. In C. Stephanidis (Ed.), HCI International 2021 - Posters. HCII 2021. Communications in Computer and Information Science (Vol. 1419, pp. 391-399). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78642-7_53
Salles, A., Evers, K., & Farisco, M. (2020). Anthropomorphism in AI. AJOB neuroscience, 11(2), 88-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2020.1740350
Saoula, O., Shamim, A., Mohd Suki, N., Ahmad, M. J., Abid, M. F., Patwary, A. K., & Abbasi, A. Z. (2023). Building e-trust and e-retention in online shopping: the role of website design, reliability and perceived ease of use. Spanish Journal of Marketing-ESIC, 27(2), 178-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-07-2022-0159
Sarangapani, S., Sing h, S. S. R., Balasubramaniam, A., Hasan, W. S. W., binti Shaharuddin, N., & Kanapathipillai, K. (2023). A study of the factors influencing purchasing behaviour of online consumers in Klang Valley. Malaysia. European Journal of Economic and Financial Research, 7(1), 120-150.
https://doi.org/10.46827/ejefr.v7i1.1431
Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Hair, J. F. (2021). Partial least-squares structural equation modeling. In Handbook of market research (pp. 587-632). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57413-4_15
Sathyanarayana, S., & Mohanasundaram, T. (2025). Mediation analysis in structural equation modeling (SEM): Theoretical foundations, statistical methods and practical implications. Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, 25(3), 19-37. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajeba/2025/v25i31692
Shahbandi, M. (2025). AI chatbots vs. human customer service: Impact on consumer satisfaction and purchase decisions. International Business & Economics Studies, 7(3), 36. https://doi.org/10.22158/ibes.v7n3p36
Shahidi Hamedani, S., Chew, J. M., Ong, S. E., Lim, Y. S., Aslam, S., & Babanejaddehaki,
G. (2025). AI-driven service quality and sustainable consumer behavior: A social psychology perspective in quick service restaurants. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(6), https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i6.3803
Sharma, P., Satija, S., & Yadav, D. (2023). A Study of Consumer Adoption of Chatbot in E-Commerce Sector in India. VEETHIKA-An International Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 9(3), https://doi.org/10.48001/veethika.2023.09.03.005
Sheehan, B., Jin, H. S., & Gottlieb, U. (2020). Customer service chatbots: Anthropomorphism and adoption. Journal of Business Research, 115, 14-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.04.030
Shin, D. (2022). The perception of humanness in conversational journalism: An algorithmic information-processing perspective. New Media & Society, 24(12), 2680-2704. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444821993801
Shoukat, S., & Kwon, W. S. (2024, January). Effects of AI Agent Anthropomorphism on Consumers' Affective, Cognitive, and Social Shopping Experiences. In International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings (Vol. 80, No. 1). Iowa State University Digital Press. https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17483
Silva, F. A., Shojaei, A. S., & Barbosa, B. (2023). Chatbot-based services: A study on customers' reuse intention. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 18(1), 457-474. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer18010024
Sundar, A., Russell-Rose, T., Kruschwitz, U., & Machleit, K. (2025). The AI interface: Designing for the ideal machine-human experience. Computers in Human Behavior, 165, 108539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108539
Taherdoost, H., & Madanchian, M. (2024). A comprehensive survey and literature review on TOPSIS. International Journal of Service Science, Management, Engineering, and Technology, 15(1), 1-65. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJSSMET.347947
Torres, R., Moreno, D. E., Rodrigo, R., Cruz, S. G., Posadas, N. K., & Roska, C. J. (2024, August). Customer's Intention to Adopt AI Chatbots in E-Commerce Framework: Using Structural Equation Modeling. In 2024 8th International Conference on Business and Information Management (ICBIM) (pp. 18-22). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICBIM63313.2024.10823613
Truong, T. T. H., & Chen, J. S. (2025). When empathy is enhanced by human-AI interaction: an investigation of anthropomorphism and responsiveness on customer experience with AI chatbots. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, [early online]. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-10-2024-1464
Uddin, M. N., Thiam Low, W., Afjalur Rahman, M., & Mokhtar, S. (2024, May). An Exploration of Millennials' Attitudes Towards the Use of Artificial Intelligence Chatbots for Customer Service within E-commerce Platforms. In Proceedings of the International
Conference on Business, Management and Leadership (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 1-19). https://doi.org/10.33422/icbml.v1i1.374
Vadivel, V.S., Song, I., Bhati, A.S. (2022). Culture-Centered ICT Guidelines for Southeast Asian Secondary Schools. In: Meiselwitz, G., et al. HCI International 2022 - Late Breaking Papers. Interaction in New Media, Learning and Games. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13517. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22131- 6_33
Wahbi, A., Khaddouj, K., & Lahlimi, N. (2023). Study of the relationship between chatbot technology and customer experience and satisfaction. International Journal of Accounting, Finance, Auditing, Management and Economics, 4(6-1), 758-771.
Waladi, C., Lamarti, M. S., & Khaldi, M. (2024). Transforming Customer Experiences with Customer-Centric AI-Powered Chatbots in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In 2024 Mediterranean Smart Cities Conference (MSCC) (pp. 1-5). IEEE.. https://doi.org/10.1109/MSCC62288.2024.10697060
Winter, V., & Köberlein-Neu, J. (2023). Factors Influencing the Acceptability, Acceptance and Adoption of Conversational Agents in Healthcare: An Integrative Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 25, e46548. https://doi.org/10.2196/46548
Yan, Z., Liao, J., Dale, K. R., Arpan, L. M., & Raney, A. A. (2024). The effects of awe- inspiring nature videos on connectedness to nature and proenvironmental intentions. Psychology of Popular Media, 14(2), 213–223. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000521
Yatawara, K., Sampath, T., Kalupahana, P., Rathnayake, S., Jayasuriya, N., & Rathnayake,
N. (2025). A Systematic Review on Consumer Adoption of AI-driven Chatbots. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective. https://doi.org/10.1177/09722629251332349
Yong, M. H., Lim, Z. S., & Lee, Y. (2023, May). Chatbot in smartphone self-paced learning: A study on technology acceptance among older adults in Malaysia. In Proceedings of the 2023 International Conference on Intelligent Perception and Computer Vision (CIPCV) (pp. 99-104). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/CIPCV58883.2023.00019
Zhang, M., Xu, Y., Huang, Y., & Wang, H. (2025). Human-like or robot-like AI chatbots? Consumer's preference of the anthropomorphism of AI chatbots under the advance selling. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-12-2024-1927
