White Elephant or Happiness Goodies? The Effect of User Personality on the Perception of Digital Companionship of Smart Speaker

With the popularity of smart speakers, companionship has emerged as an important aspect of user experiences with these devices. While previous studies have primarily focused on users' adoption and intentions for continuous AI product usage, only a limited number of qualitative studies have identified the nascent concept of digital companionship. However, these studies often lack a comprehensive elucidation of the underlying psychological motivations. Therefore, this study aims to explore how certain users perceive digital companionship within the context of smart speakers and elucidate the motivations driving these parasocial needs. Our investigation adopts a Human-Centered AI perspective for a deeper understanding. A survey was conducted, encompassing 460 valid questionnaires. The findings underscore the influence of user personality on their psychological perceptions of smart speakers. Specifically, extroverted and conscientious users tend to view smart speakers as sources of happiness, akin to "happiness goodies." Conversely, other users tend to perceive the companionship of smart speakers less strongly, akin to "white elephants." Notably, our research reveals that perceived attraction and intimacy jointly mediate the influence of user personality traits, including extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, on digital companionship. This study contributes to illustrating why AI-based products, such as smart speakers, could be regarded as friends by digital companionship. Furthermore, it holds practical implications for personalizing AI roles and building trustworthy AI.