The Impacts of AI Avatar Appearance and Disclosure on User Motivation
This research addresses user motivation in human-AI interactions, providing insights for designing virtual companions, but it is incremental as it builds on existing avatar and AI studies.
The study investigated how AI avatar appearance and disclosure affect user motivation in a game-based experiment with over 72,500 participants, finding that AI disclosure increased effort intensity while masculine appearances reduced it compared to solo play.
This study examines the influence of perceived AI features on user motivation in virtual interactions. AI avatars, being disclosed as being an AI, or embodying specific genders, could be used in user-AI interactions. Leveraging insights from AI and avatar research, we explore how AI disclosure and gender affect user motivation. We conducted a game-based experiment involving over 72,500 participants who solved search problems alone or with an AI companion. Different groups experienced varying AI appearances and disclosures. We measured play intensity. Results revealed that the presence of another avatar led to less intense play compared to solo play. Disclosure of the avatar as AI heightened effort intensity compared to non-disclosed AI companions. Additionally, a masculine AI appearance reduced effort intensity.