Show me how to say: the impact of voice search examples on consumer usage intention in e-commerce platforms

Purpose With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), voice search has been increasingly integrated into e-commerce platforms. Although it holds substantial potential for expanding e-commerce's market reach by facilitating online shopping among populations with limited text-input capabilities, actual consumer usage remains consistently low. This study aims to identify factors that encourage consumer use by examining the role of voice search examples, the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions. Design/methodology/approach Three controlled experimental studies examined how voice search examples influence usage intention. Study 1 employed a single-factor (examples: present vs absent) between-subjects design to establish the basic effect and examine the parallel mediation of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Building on this, Study 2 tested the robustness and generalizability of the effects among elderly consumers while controlling for potential confounding factors. Study 3 adopted a 2 (examples: present vs absent) × 2 (speech recognition accuracy: high vs low) between-subjects design to investigate the moderating effect of speech recognition accuracy. Findings The results show that providing voice search examples significantly enhances consumers' intention to use voice search. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness serve as parallel mediators in this causal pathway. Furthermore, these indirect effects are moderated by speech recognition accuracy such that they are attenuated when speech recognition accuracy is high. Originality/value This research extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) by identifying novel design antecedents within e-commerce voice search and enriching accessibility design literature. Crucially, it has the potential to create societal value by addressing the needs of overlooked consumers in human-AI interaction, fostering a more inclusive digital environment. Practically, the study offers actionable guidance for platforms to optimize interface design and mitigate technical limitations, thereby enhancing both consumer adoption and competitive advantage.