Trust in AI Chatbots: The Perceived Expertise of ChatGPT in Subjective and Objective Tasks

Abstract

With the advancement and increasing availability of AI based chatbots, it becomes relevant to better understand how people use and perceive these systems. Previous research shows that trust in algorithms varies as people assume algorithms are more capable of handling tasks of objective knowledge domains than of subjective ones. The present study investigates how perceived expertise, perceived risk, trust, and perceived usefulness vary in objective and subjective knowledge domains and how this translates in use intention. In an online study, 602 participants watched an interaction video with ChatGPT, showcasing either an objective task or a subjective task. The results demonstrate an indirect effect of knowledge domain on use intention via perceived expertise, perceived risk, trust, and perceived usefulness in serial. This demonstrates how various factors impact the use intention, and how important it is to consider the usage context.