Development of an Intelligent Dialogue Agent for Older Adults : Evaluation of Functions to Control Spontaneous Talk and Coordinate Speech Content This paper aims to develop an agent, the Intelligent Dialogue Agent (IDA), which is able to engage in appropriate dialogue with a variety of older adults depending on their situation. Incorporating the IDA into preventive care frameworks is expected to encourage older adults to habitually engage in preventive care behaviors (e.g., exercise and cognitive training) due to their familiarity with the frameworks. We implemented a function into the IDA to spontaneously talk to older adults. Reinforcement learning based on the policy gradient method was also employed to develop a function to coordinate the IDAxe2x80x99s speech content. In preparation for application to older adults, we carried out experiments with students to evaluate their impression of the IDAxe2x80x99s spontaneous talking function using a prototype IDA with a smart speaker and also conducted the experiments using a textbased chatbot with a speechcontentscoordinating function to discuss basic characteristics and performance of the function.

Exploring Age Differences in Motivations for and Acceptance of Chatbot Communication in a Customer Service Context This qualitative interview study explores age differences in perceptions of chatbot communication in a customer service context. Socioemotional selectivity theory and research into technology acceptance suggest that older adults may differ from younger adults in motivations to use chatbots, and in perceived complexity and security of this chatbot communication. The indepth interviews with older adults (54xe2x80x9381 years; N  7) and younger adults (19xe2x80x9330 years; N  7) revealed that both groups were aligned in their prime motivation: They used chatbots to get their (simple) customer queries answered in a fast and convenient manner. However, they seemed to differ in their need for additional human contact. In both age groups, there were participants for whom it was easy to communicate with chatbots, and the two groups were united in their frustrations when the chatbot did not understand and answer their queries. They were aligned as well in the difficulty they experienced in assessing the security of the chatbot. The two age groups may differ in the factors that contribute to perceived ease of use and perceived security. Directions for future research and implications for the implementation of chatbots for customer service are discussed.