Automated social presence in artificial-intelligence services: Conceptualization, scale development, and validation

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is rapidly changing the service industry. Automated social presence (ASP) is an essential construct in AI services. However, there is a lack of conceptualization and a valid measurement scale of ASP. Hence, the objective of the present study is to conceptualize, develop, and validate an ASP measurement scale. With four phases and 1027 Chinese respondents, this study followed rigorous scale development steps. Phase 1 conceptualized the ASP based on previous research. Phase 2 involved the development of measures, including generating items and validating content through individual interviews and expert assessments. Phase 3 involved ASP scale purification and refinement via exploratory factor analysis. In Phase 4, a new survey sample was collected to test the reliability, and validity through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that ASP is a multidimensional construct with five dimensions: social affability, empathy, responsiveness, communication versatility, and competence. Additionally, the developed scale showed sufficient reliability and validity. This study guides the design, development, and deployment of AI beings to enhance the consumer experience in AI services.