Balancing Privacy and Personalization: Analyzing Consumer Behavior when Using Intelligent Personal Assistants

Abstract

Nowadays, AI technology is developing at a rapid pace, changing the world and our daily lives every day. Thus, understanding the impacts of these AI developments on their users' ethical concerns and data privacy is essential. This study focuses on the role of Personalization in determining whether the desire for personalized content can mitigate users' data privacy concerns when using and disclosing information to Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAs). To address this question, a model was developed where Personalization was the independent variable, and Risk Perception and Trust served as mediators. The dependent variables were Willingness to Self-Disclose to IPAs and Intention to use IPAs. The results indicated that Personalization significantly enhances users' intention to use IPAs and their willingness to disclose personal information with it. Additionally, having access to personalized content can reduce the perceived risk associated with IPAs and foster greater trust in these technologies. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the trade-off users are willing to make to access the benefits provided by IPAs while highlighting the critical role of personalization in influencing user behavior and perceptions.