Exploring User Profiles for Deadbot Adoption:A Cluster-Based Analysis

This study explores the characteristics of potential users of “deadbots”—AI-based digital replicas of deceased individuals—among Italian Millennials and Generation Z. A structured questionnaire was administered online to a purposive sample of 415 individuals. Using constructs adapted from UTAUT2 and related literature, the survey measured performance expectancy, subjective norm, positive and negative anticipated emotions, moral norms, trust, and uncanniness toward using a deadbot. To identify distinct user profiles, a k-means cluster analysis was conducted, resulting in a two-cluster solution: Uncanny-averse (58%) and Thoughtfully curious (42%). These findings highlight two distinct user profiles with different levels of openness toward this type of technology. The study offers initial insights into the segmentation of emerging markets for grief tech and highlights the need for further modeling to predict behavioral intentions toward deadbot adoption.