What If Conversational Agents Became Invisible?

Abstract

The popularity of conversational agents (CAs) in the form of AI speakers that support ubiquitous smart homes has increased because of their seamless interaction. However, recent studies have revealed that the use of AI speakers decreases over time, which shows that current agents do not fully support smart homes. Because of this problem, the possibility of unobtrusive, invisible intelligence without a physical device has been suggested. To explore CA design direction that enhances the user experience in smart homes, we aimed to understand each feature by comparing an invisible agent with visible ones embedded in stand-alone AI speakers. We conducted a drawing study to examine users' mental models formed through communicating with two different physical entities (i.e., visible and invisible CAs). From the drawings, interviews, and surveys, we identified how users' mental models and interactions differed depending on the presence of a physical entity. We found that a physical entity affected users' perceptions, expectations, and interactions toward the agent.