Events

Ms. Zhechao Yang
Ph.D. Candidate in Information Systems and Operations Management
Warrington College of Business
University of Florida

Despite the rapid evolution and extensive application of artificial intelligence (AI), the specific dynamics of human-AI interaction within the context of multiplayer online games remain underexplored. Our study fills this research gap by utilizing a popular multiplayer online game’s policy that incorporates AI players as opponents to human players into matches. We investigate the impact of introducing AI players on human player engagement, friend team-ups, and the game ecosystem. Our findings indicate a significantly positive impact of AI players on game engagement in terms of play frequency and duration. Additionally, we highlight the social impact of incorporating AI players in encouraging friend team-ups. To uncover the underlying mechanism, we examine the role of players’ self-efficacy and perform a mediation analysis. Our results reveal that successfully defeating AI opponents, either individually (indicating player skill levels) or through teamwork (indicating team contribution), can significantly boost players’ confidence in their abilities and strengthen their belief in their capacity to positively contribute to overall team performance. This increase in self-efficacy often leads to greater engagement with the game and more frequent team-ups with friends. Finally, our analysis suggests that the impacts of AI players are moderated by player skill levels and teammate preferences. In particular, the positive effects of AI players on both player engagement and friend team-ups are stronger among novices. Players who initially prefer random teammates experience greater social benefits from incorporating AI players, as this leads to more team-ups with friends for them. Our research offers valuable implications for game developers who seek to enhance player engagement and foster social interaction in the rapidly evolving landscape of multiplayer online games.