Whale You Go Green? Immediate and Longitudinal Effects of Embodied Conversational AI Avatars on Sustainable Behavioral Tendencies and Pro-Environmental Attitudes
TL;DR
Although it did not significantly outperform other embodied agents, these findings establish the immediate potential of nonhuman embodied avatar interfaces as a promising direction for memorable environmental interventions.
Abstract
Embodied conversational AI can be persuasive, but can it motivate people to develop sustainable behavioral tendencies and increase pro-environmental attitudes? We conducted a randomized experiment (N = 576) comparing four embodied avatars--a beluga whale, Greta Thunberg, Emma Watson, and a generic human--with a text chatbot and no-intervention control. All embodied conditions increased immediate sustainable product selection relative to the control (beta = .401-.609, all q<= .0126) and chatbot (beta = .398-.604, all q<= .007), without differing significantly from one another. Only the Beluga condition increased immediate pro-environmental attitudes relative to the control after correction. Among 287 returners assessed two months later, following an intermediate assigned-condition session, Beluga also showed significantly higher pre-booster sustainable product choice compared to the control (beta = .657, q = .0176). Although it did not significantly outperform other embodied agents, these findings establish the immediate potential of nonhuman embodied avatar interfaces as a promising direction for memorable environmental interventions.
