Voice AI for Consumer Research

The study explored the role of empathy in AI voice assistants, specifically in shopping scenarios, to understand how consumers interact with emotionally driven purchases and experiential products. The researchers integrated Hume's Empathic Voice Interface (EVI) with an eBay catalog to create a shopping assistant with varying levels of empathy, including utility-focused and empathic versions. The results showed that consumers preferred the empathic version, especially for experiential purchases, which enhanced user satisfaction by creating personalized and human-like interactions. The study highlights the transformative potential of empathic AI in consumer decision-making, promoting mindful consumption and long-term well-being, and has opened the door to new applications across industries, including curbing impulse buying and supporting healthier aging.