Senior populations' attitude towards virtual assistants: A study using extended technology acceptance model

An interactive virtual assistant can be very useful for older people because it is cost-effective and can easily assist them. It provides ways to give them social support and manage their loneliness by giving them activities, like playing games, solving puzzles, and listening to music. The importance of progress in virtual assistants goes beyond enhancing the features of virtual assistants. Such analysis can be important in finding patterns of trust and attitudes in human interactions, leading to improved adoption of virtual assistants. One of the specific areas where this can be useful is increasing the social acceptance of these assistants among the elderly population. In this study, we surveyed to gauge the popularity of virtual assistants in the elder population, which consisted of a total of 20 questions for which 104 responses were received. Seven hypotheses were formulated for the various Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) parameters and were supported by statistical analysis. The findings highlight that the virtual assistants not only show promising potential for improving the quality of life of older adults but also explain the role of trust, perceived reliability, and emotional comfort in shaping their long-term acceptance.