INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND HUMAN INTERACTION: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR TRANSFORMING ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH CHATBOTS

Abstract

In the face of fast-growing transformation, the chatbots and/or virtual assistants have the potential to transform various business settings by improving customer experience. In digital marketing, the adoption of chatbots is rapidly growing. This artificial intelligence (AI) based technology is now an essential component of online customer experience. It is designed to mimic human interaction, enabling it to respond to customer requests and provide information about the organization’s offerings. However, using chatbots to manage online interactions with customers presents some technical and ethical issues. Hence, endowing human characteristics into chatbots, or "humanizing" chatbots, can simply counter chatbot technology maturity and challenges, and hence influence chatbot users' perceptions. This paper highlights the role played by chatbots in enhancing customer experience. Managerial implications and a future research agenda are also addressed.