AI usage patterns are shaped by perceived gains in human agency
For researchers and designers of conversational AI, this paper provides empirical evidence that perceived agency gains, not trust, primarily shape usage patterns, suggesting a need for new behavioral frameworks and benchmarks.
This study uses ethnographic data from 51 daily AI chatbot users across three countries to show that sustained AI usage is driven by perceived gains in individual agency, which often outweigh concerns about accuracy and reliability. The findings challenge trust-based models of human-AI interaction and reveal a tension between immediate psychological boosts and long-term empowerment.
As conversational AI systems become more deeply integrated into daily life, the implications for human agency are increasingly urgent to understand. AI's potential to amplify capability sits alongside risks of individual and collective disempowerment, yet empirical, ecologically-valid evidence about cumulative usage is scarce. We analyze deep ethnographic data from a study of daily AI chatbot users (n = 51) in the United States, Germany, and Singapore to illuminate conversational AI usage in situated context as a sociotechnical practice. We show that people consistently link sustained AI usage to perceived gains in individual agency. Crucially, these perceived gains often outweigh concerns about accuracy, reliability, and consistency to shape usage patterns. Our findings challenge prevailing assumptions about how and why humans use AI systems over time, suggesting that traditional trust-based models are not sufficient for explaining human behavior with conversational AI. Finally, we expose a critical tension: immediate psychological boosts to perceived agency may not necessarily translate into material effects, structural empowerment, or long-term capacity. Our results help establish a new foundation for novel behavioral frameworks, measurement tools, and AI benchmarks to ensure conversational AI strengthens human agency in substantial, sustained ways.