When empathy is enhanced by human–AI interaction: an investigation of anthropomorphism and responsiveness on customer experience with AI chatbots

Purpose Artificial intelligence chatbots are increasingly employed as substitutes for human service agents in customer service. This study investigates how two key chatbot features, anthropomorphism and responsiveness, enhance the customer experience by fostering social presence and empathy, which in turn influence continuance intention. The moderating roles of privacy concerns and the need for human interaction (NFHI) are also examined. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 461 respondents through an online survey on the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships. Findings Both anthropomorphism and responsiveness significantly enhance social presence and empathy in chatbot interactions. Social presence mediates the relationship between chatbot features and empathy, which positively impacts continuance intention. Privacy concerns negatively moderate the relationship between empathy and continuance intention, whereas NFHI positively moderates it. Practical implications Businesses should design chatbots with human-like behaviors and responsive features to create more engaging and empathetic interactions. Addressing privacy concerns and catering to users with high NFHI can further boost continued chatbot use. Originality/value This study extends the stimuli-organism-response framework and social presence theory to chatbot interactions and provides insights into how psychological barriers influence user experience and continuance intention.