Abstract:
AI chatbots have become an emerging trend in customer interaction, deployed across
mobile applications, websites, and digital service portals in Sri Lanka. However,
despite their availability, many customers continue to prefer traditional channels such
as phone calls or emails. This gap highlights the need to explore the underlying factors
influencing user adoption of AI-based Chatbots. This study aims to identify and
examine the influence of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived
intelligence, technology anxiety, and consumer trust on the adoption of AI chatbots
in the Western Province, Sri Lanka; the country’s most digitally active and
economically diverse region. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
and extended with consumer trust as a key contextual factor for emerging economies,
the study used a random sampling technique to collect data through a structured
Google Form distributed among individuals in the Colombo District. A total of 242
responses were received, of which 226 were valid for analysis. Data were processed
using SPSS, applying descriptive statistics, reliability testing, correlation analysis,
and regression analysis to test the hypothesized relationships between variables.
Results reveal that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived
intelligence, and consumer trust significantly and positively influence adoption, while
technology anxiety having a significant negative impact. Among these, consumer
trust emerged as the strongest determinant, emphasizing the importance of
transparency, data privacy, and reliability in AI chatbot systems. The findings address
a local research gap by focusing on chatbot adoption within a highly digital and
economically diverse context, offering theoretical advancement to TAM by
integrating consumer trust as a relevant variable for technology adoption in emerging
markets. Practically, the study provides actionable insights for technology
developers, digital marketers, and service providers, recommending strategies to the
development of AI systems that align with evolving consumer expectations in Sri
Lanka’s Western Province.
