Alexa, Can I Trust You? Exploring Consumer Paths to Trust in Smart Voice-Interaction Technologies

Trust is considered a prerequisite for consumer interaction with smart voice-interaction technologies such as smart speakers, although how exactly this develops remains unclear. Adopting the Computers Are Social Actors paradigm, we investigate how users of smart technology build and maintain trust in their devices. We conduct three qualitative studies to enhance understanding of the development of consumer trust in and interaction with smart technologies. Our findings suggest that consumers follow four paths to trust in smart technology: on one path, in which consumers relate their trust to the perceived personality of the technology’s voice interface and on three nonanthropomorphism-based trust paths. Our research contributes to existing work by illustrating how consumers build trust relationships with smart technology, presenting evidence of more intimate forms of partnering as a coping strategy for managing the paradoxes of smart technology, and clarifying the transfer of trust from brand experiences to smart products.