Comprehensive Summary
This paper by Citoler and Lee investigates how end users perceive an AI chatbot when embedded with ExSnus, a mobile health app designed to help people quit snus use. Snus is a type of smokeless tobacco with widespread popularity worldwide. ExSnus allowed users to access a supportive forum for sharing their journeys quitting snus, as well as a chatbot that would give personalized advice, check-ins, and emotional support. Researchers were able to conduct interviews to assess preferences and experiences following usability testing with Swedish university students. The results showed a variety of opinions, some of which preferred the human connection provided by the forum while others preferred the private, tailored experience of the chatbot. Additionally, many users reported feeling uncomfortable when having to speak with a machine over text-based interactions. Importantly, the chatbot was deemed useful for reminders, check-ins, and motivational feedback. However, it lacked the emotional depth and availability of its human counterpart.
Outcomes and Implications
This paper highlights the utility of digital health interventions in tobacco cessation. Snus are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, oral cancer, and nicotine dependence. The study shows that AI chatbots are a viable option available to those who wish to quit their addictions, especially when integrated into mobile health platforms. This is due to their scalable, low-cost, private support. The study also shows that chatbots cannot replace the emotional depth of human support, but rather supplement it. Thus, AI chatbots should be used as a supplementary tool for those try to quit their addictions, pointing to a hybrid model of care in which AI-driven digital tools enhance accessibility and continuity of support while still integrating opportunities for peer or professional interaction to address the emotional and relational needs of patients.