What makes users reliant on the virtual assistant? The side effect of attachment

Recently, one of the most popular artificial intelligence (AI) products is the AI-based virtual assistant. To make better products that meet users’ needs, manufacturers add anthropomorphic cues to virtual assistants. However, this cue-enabled human-likeness of virtual assistants can lead to unexpected side effects, such as a reliance of users on these products. As a result, users can become overly dependent on virtual assistants’ suggestions when making decisions and have negative outcomes. Therefore, in this study, we explore the relationship between virtual assistants\u27 responsiveness and linguistic cues and users\u27 reliance on virtual assistants. To explain the phenomenon, we build our theoretical framework on anthropomorphism and attachment theories. In addition, we hypothesize that virtual assistants\u27 voice pitches and interaction contexts can moderate how anthropomorphic cues impact emotional bonds. The pilot study shows promising results, and we will further test the hypotheses by conducting experiments