Towards Human-Centered Design of AI Service Chatbots: Defining the Building Blocks

Abstract

<p>Chatbots have been spread widely to online customer service due to recent technological advancements. For chatbots’ successful utilisation as customer servants, it is essential that they are developed for human users in a way that meets their needs. Human-centred design (HCD) puts humans in the centre of the development. However, research-based information of HCD for service chatbots is still scarce. Hence, we reviewed recent literature to explore and map the relevant themes that are recurrent in chatbot research to determine the building blocks of HCD for service chatbots. Our study reveals three main themes: (i) AI service chatbots’ purpose is to serve humans, (ii) trust is crucial for service chatbot uptake, and (iii) AI chatbot design combines user interface design, dialogue design, and bot persona design to create positive UX. The findings of our study serve as a basis to the understanding of human-centered chatbot design, and can help practitioners develop service chatbots that are successful in supporting users accomplish their tasks.</p>