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# Generation Z's Satisfaction with Artificial Intelligence Voice Enabled Digital Assistants

Thiruvenkadam Thiagarajan(✉) and Sudarsan Jayasingh

SSN School of Management, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam 603110, India

Thiruvenkadamt@ssn.edu.in

**Abstract.** Artificial Intelligence voice enabled digital assistants, such as Alexa, Siri and Google assistants are increasingly used by Generation Z's Day to day life. This study attempts to study Gen Z satisfaction level of these new age voice enabled digital assistants and its determinants. 235 valid responses were collected using online survey. The results show usefulness is the most important determinants for using digital assistants, which is followed by user's competency. The research shows that privacy perception is negatively related to satisfaction.

**Keywords:** Artificial Intelligence · Gen Z · Voice Enabled Digital Assistant · Satisfaction

## 1 Introduction

Our living spaces today occupied by artificial intelligence (AI) backed voice enabled digital assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistants. Digital assistant or virtual assistant is a software that uses advanced artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing, and machine learning to interact with consumers [1]. Voice-activated digital assistants (e.g., Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant) showing increasing usage as these technologies makes daily routines much easier [2]. It is estimated that 4.2 billion devices are fitted with some form of digital voice assistants around the world [3]. Digital Assistants enable users to use voice commands for controlling home appliances, recommend news, enjoy preferred music, setting reminders and alarms [2].

AI based digital assistants shows good number of benefits, but privacy and security is one of the major concerns [4]. The technology adoption largely varies from generation to generation. Baby Boomers are the one first experienced with personal computer, the Generation X is the first generation to experience internet. The Millennials are the one born with mobile phones. But when it comes to Generation Z, the children born from 1997 to 2012, they were born with ‘Smartphones’ in their hand. The Metafacts survey (2018) says that around 50 percent of internet users are below the age of 24 and they spend more than 70 h per week on their smart devices [5]. Given the relative less usage of voice enabled digital assistant, there is very few empirical work conducted to measure the customer satisfaction towards the digital assistants [6]. This study is an attempt to
find out the satisfaction of generation Z on the AI enabled devises such as Siri, Alexa, and other digital assistants used widely by the Gen Z in everyday life.

## 2 Literature Review

There is remarkable literature available on the topic Artificial Intelligence, Smart Devices, IOT etc. But most of the studies are technical in nature or application oriented. Only limited studies are available in terms of measuring customer satisfaction towards these devises. A research by Brill et al., [6] studied the satisfaction of customers using Siri, Alexa, and other digital assistants. The study focused on their expectations and whether the expectations are met in terms of usefulness, competence, benevolence, integrity, and perceived privacy protection. Another study by Vitezić and Peric [7] studied the willingness of generation Z in terms of accepting AI Devices. The study found that the frequency of smartphone usage has an important role between the perceived effort of AI Usage and emotions of Generation Z. The perceived usefulness of technology devices will affect the attitude and satisfaction of users [8].

Davis and Davis [9] had developed and tested the scales to test the perceived usefulness and user acceptance of information technology. The result of the study conveys that there is a very high correlation between these two variables. Previous studies shows that one of the major concerns of some users is privacy concern of using the digital assistant. Ebbers et al. [10] study examines user preference towards design of privacy features in digital assistants. Their research shows that privacy features in digital assistants are strongly preferred by the respondents. Competence is the faith of the users on the capability of the product or service providers to meet their expectations [11]. Integrity is the faith on one person by another person that the person will be honest and keep his promise [12]. Koon et. Al. [2] applied Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model to study the barriers and facilitators to use a digital assistant among users of age older than 55 years. Their research shows difficulties with the voice activation features hindered the continued use. Davis and Davis [9] had found that perceived ease of use has a high correlation with the current usage and future usage of technology. The dimensions of competence, benevolence and integrity are usually applied to trust humans but there are researchers who have adopted these dimensions to non-humans also [11].

The following hypothesis was developed based on the literature review (see Fig. 1.):

* Hypothesis 1 – Usefulness positively impact satisfaction towards voice enabled digital assistants.

* Hypothesis 2 – Competence positively impact satisfaction towards voice enabled digital assistants.

* Hypothesis 3 – Benevolence positively impact satisfaction towards voice enabled digital assistants.

* Hypothesis 4 – Integrity positively impact satisfaction towards voice enabled digital assistants.

* Hypothesis 5 – Privacy Protection positively impact satisfaction towards voice enabled digital assistants.
<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 1. Satisfaction towards Voice Enabled Digital Assistants</figcaption></figure>

## 3 Research Methodology

The objective of this research is to identify the determinants of satisfaction of AI voice enabled digital assistant. A total of 253 survey responses were obtained using online survey forms. A total of 235 valid responses were used for further analysis after eliminating the incomplete responses. The online survey was conducted during the period of October 2022. The characteristics of the respondents is presented in Table 1. Instrument used for this study is based on previous researcher's survey instrument [6]. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS 28.0. The details about the questionnaire is attached in Appendix 1.

<table><caption>Table 1. Characteristics of respondents</caption><thead><tr><th>Variable</th><th>Characteristics</th><th>Frequency</th><th>Percentage</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2">Gender</td><td>Male</td><td>110</td><td>46.8</td></tr><tr><td>Female</td><td>125</td><td>53.2</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">Using Voice Enabled Digital Assistant</td><td>Yes</td><td>130</td><td>55.3</td></tr><tr><td>Maybe</td><td>22</td><td>9.4</td></tr><tr><td>No</td><td>83</td><td>35.3</td></tr></tbody></table>

## 4 Data Analysis and Discussion

This study made a systematic attempt to understand the determinants of generation z satisfaction to use voice enabled digital assistants. The survey data was collected using an online questionnaire. Out of 235 responses 46.8% were male. 64.7 respondents have
mentioned that they have used some form of digital assistant for e-commerce transactions (see Table 1). The summary statistics of the predicted variable is presented in Fig. 2.

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 2. Summary statistics of the predicted variable “Satisfaction towards Voice Enabled Digital Assistants”</figcaption></figure>

A multiple linear regression model was validated using five independent variables is built using SPSS software. The standardized coefficient of five independent variables usefulness, benevolence, privacy, competency, and integrity towards satisfaction of using voice enabled digital assistance is presented in Table 2. The results show usefulness is the most important determinants for using digital assistants, which is followed by user's competency (see Table 2). The research shows that privacy is negatively related to satisfaction.

$$Y = 2.168 + 0.336X_{1} + 0.028X_{2} - 0.131X_{3} + 0.203X_{4} - 0.012X_{5}$$

The R² is the squared correlation between the observed and predicted value which is satisfaction towards voice enabled digital assistants. The results indicate R² of 0.248 which can be inferred as moderate fit model. Further the data analysis shows that Usefulness, Privacy and Competency are the three variables with Sig. Lower than 0.05. Figure 3. Shows the final accepted model of the study based on the regression model output.
<table><caption>**Table 2.** Coefficient of conceptual model</caption><thead><tr><th>Characteristics</th><th>Unstandardized Coefficients</th><th>Standardized Coefficients Beta</th><th>t</th><th>Sig.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>(Constant)</td><td>2.168</td><td>.294</td><td>7.371</td><td>&lt;001</td></tr><tr><td>Usefulness (X<sub>1</sub>)</td><td>.336</td><td>.085</td><td>3.942</td><td>&lt;001</td></tr><tr><td>Benevolence (X<sub>2</sub>)</td><td>.028</td><td>.291</td><td>.096</td><td>.923</td></tr><tr><td>Privacy (X<sub>3</sub>)</td><td>-131</td><td>.053</td><td>-2.449</td><td>.015</td></tr><tr><td>Competency (X<sub>4</sub>)</td><td>.203</td><td>.090</td><td>2.263</td><td>.025</td></tr><tr><td>Integrity (X<sub>5</sub>)</td><td>-012</td><td>.265</td><td>-046</td><td>.963</td></tr></tbody></table>

a. Dependent Variable: Satisfaction.

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>**Fig. 3.** Determinants of Satisfaction towards Voice Enabled Digital Assistants</figcaption></figure>

## 5 Conclusion

This research attempts to measure the satisfaction towards AI based voice enabled digital assistants. The research findings shows that usefulness is most important factor for Z generation users' satisfaction towards digital assistants. High number of participants mentioned that privacy is the major concern in using voice enabled digital assistants. To address these concerns, service providers must address this issue to increase the usage of digital assistants. This study can be extended to other age groups to understand the primary factors determining satisfaction of AI assistants. This study can also be extended to other countries and other societies to see that whether there is any difference in the factors determining the satisfaction of AI assistants as the attitudes, values and perception vary from country to county and society to society.
# Appendix 1. Constructs Measurement Items

<table><thead><tr><td>Constructs</td><td>Items</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Usefulness</td><td>Digital assistant increased my productivity<br>Digital assistant improved my performance<br>Digital assistant enhanced my effectiveness<br>Digital assistant was useful<br>Digital assistant helped me to complete tasks more quickly</td></tr><tr><td>Competence</td><td>Digital assistant (DA) expert in providing answers<br>DA understands my needs<br>DA understands what I am interested<br>DA understands my preferences<br>DA helps me to identify the information available</td></tr><tr><td>Benevolence</td><td>My DA puts my interests first<br>My DA keeps my interests in mind<br>My DA helps me to match my preferences<br>My DA helps me identify the topic of my interest</td></tr><tr><td>Integrity</td><td>My DA is unbiased<br>My DA is honest<br>My DA exhibits integrity<br>My DA is not linked to one specific organization<br>My DA don't collect my personal data</td></tr><tr><td>Privacy Protection</td><td>My DA provider will use my personal data<br>My DA provider will share my personal data<br>Others cannot have access to my personal data<br>I am worried about my privacy of using DA</td></tr></tbody></table>

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