Ambidextrous use of intelligent personal assistants: the role of individual unlearning

Purpose The ambidextrous use of intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) plays a vital role in realizing their benefits. After adopting IPAs, users need to unlearn traditional mindsets and habits to adapt to them. This study aims to examine the effects of users’ unlearning on ambidextrous IPA use and the moderating effects of IT self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach Based on the coping model of user adaptation, we conducted a survey and employed partial least squares structural equation modeling to examine the effects of two types of unlearning (i.e. change in belief and change in routine) on ambidextrous IPA use, as well as the moderating effects of IT self-efficacy. We also conducted a fine-grained analysis and qualitative interviews for validation and exploration. Findings Both change in belief and change in routine positively affected ambidextrous IPA use. Besides, IT self-efficacy weakened the effect of change in routine but did not moderate the effect of change in belief. The post-hoc analyses further revealed that change in belief had a greater effect on explorative use, while change in routine had a greater effect on exploitative use. Meanwhile, IT self-efficacy positively moderated the effect of change in belief and negatively moderated the effect of change in routine on exploitative use. Originality/value This study identifies unlearning as a key antecedent of ambidextrous IPA use and reveals the contingent role of IT self-efficacy, contributing to the research on IPA use and user adaptation. It also provides implications for IPA users and practitioners.