Trust, perceived usefulness, and intentions to adopt robotic health advisors for physical and relational health issues

AI and robots are continuously being used in a variety of health contexts. To better understand this emerging phenomenon of employing machines in healthcare, the present research investigates trust in a robotic health advisor and intentions to adopt it by comparing a robotic health advisor designed to assist with physical health vs. relational health. An online experiment that employed a two-group comparison with a between-subjects design was conducted among 284 undergraduate students in the United States. The primary findings indicate that people report greater trust in a robotic health advisor for physical health compared to relational health, and this relationship is due to the perceived usefulness of a robotic health advisor. Additionally, trust in a robotic health advisor positively predicts intentions to adopt it. The study’s findings provide meaningful implications and contributions for research and practice.