The Impact of Intelligent Attributes of In-Car Voice Assistants on Usage Intention

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, in-car voice assistants (IVA) have become key interfaces for enabling safe and efficient human-machine interaction in driving environments. However, the psychological mechanisms by which their intelligent attributes influence user acceptance still remain underexplored. This study investigates how autonomy and adaptability affect users’ willingness to use through the mediating role of both performance expectancy and perceived reliability, while also examining the moderating role of transparency and self efficacy. Our findings show that autonomy positively influences perceived reliability, whereas adaptability enhances both performance expectancy and perceived reliability. Both mediators, in turn, significantly increase willingness to use. They mediate the relationship between adaptability and usage intention. In addition, transparency not only moderates the relationship between autonomy and performance expectancy, but also the link between adaptability and perceived reliability. We discuss theoretical and practical insights by clarifying the distinct roles of intelligent attributes and highlighting the moderating role of transparency in AI based human machine interaction under the context of in-car AI technology.