When citizens meet the chatbot: Evidence from a survey vignette experiment in Estonia

Abstract

Governments are increasingly using chatbots to facilitate public encounters. Using survey vignette experiments conducted in Estonia, we conclude that citizens' perceived usefulness and trust in technology significantly correlate with the intended use of chatbots in public encounters. Privacy concerns are related to the intended uses of chatbots for service provision but not for information provision, while trust in government, explainability, and the amount of information are not related to the intended uses of chatbots. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how citizens’ attitudes and perceived risks are relevant to citizens’ intended use of artificial intelligence applications in citizen-state relations.