Chatbots don’t judge! Customers prefer robots over humans when it comes to those ’um, you know’ purchases

By: Jianna Jin, University of Notre Dame, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 6, 2025

Words: 715

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 5 days ago

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By Jianna Jin, University of Notre Dame

When it comes to inquiring about – ahem – certain products, shoppers prefer the inhuman touch.

That is what we found in a study of consumer habits when it comes to products that traditionally have come with a degree of embarrassment – think acne cream, diarrhea medication, adult sex toys or personal lubricant.

While brands may assume consumers hate chatbots, our series of studies involving more than …

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