Paper Type
Complete
Paper Number
PACIS2026-1375
Description
Artificial intelligence (AI) health chatbots are increasingly promoted as tools to improve access, reduce health system burden, and support self-management. Yet many chatbot designs remain grounded in Western theories that can overlook Indigenous and non-Western worldviews, cultural safety, and relational health practices. These concerns are highly relevant for Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand, who experience persistent health inequities and barriers to timely, culturally safe care. This study examines how Pacific community members evaluate AI health chatbots, drawing on the He Pikinga Waiora (HPW) framework and Qualitative Comparative Analysis of 25 Talanoa interviews. Findings show that willingness does not arise from single factors, but from configurations of cultural alignment, engagement, humility, relational communication, and technological features, while systems thinking plays a secondary role. Multiple pathways lead to willingness and unwillingness, highlighting the need for culturally grounded, relationally attuned chatbot design that responds to Pacific values, lived experience, and community priorities.
Recommended Citation
Hassandoust, Farkhondeh; Malik, Mohsin; Zhang, Jingjing; Faletau, Julienne; Franklin, Drew; and Moghaddam, Shabnam Jalili -, "Cultural Configurations of Indigenous Willingness to Use Health Chatbots: Insights from He Pikinga Waiora" (2026). PACIS 2026 Proceedings. 5.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2026/ishealthcare/ishealthcare/5
Cultural Configurations of Indigenous Willingness to Use Health Chatbots: Insights from He Pikinga Waiora
Artificial intelligence (AI) health chatbots are increasingly promoted as tools to improve access, reduce health system burden, and support self-management. Yet many chatbot designs remain grounded in Western theories that can overlook Indigenous and non-Western worldviews, cultural safety, and relational health practices. These concerns are highly relevant for Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand, who experience persistent health inequities and barriers to timely, culturally safe care. This study examines how Pacific community members evaluate AI health chatbots, drawing on the He Pikinga Waiora (HPW) framework and Qualitative Comparative Analysis of 25 Talanoa interviews. Findings show that willingness does not arise from single factors, but from configurations of cultural alignment, engagement, humility, relational communication, and technological features, while systems thinking plays a secondary role. Multiple pathways lead to willingness and unwillingness, highlighting the need for culturally grounded, relationally attuned chatbot design that responds to Pacific values, lived experience, and community priorities.
Comments
14-Healthcare