Conversational artificial intelligence in everyday family life: conceptualizing family-AI interactions from a systemic perspective

Abstract

Although conversational artificial intelligence (CAI) has become increasingly integrated into daily life, research examining its role is limited to user engagement and Human‐AI interaction. The aim of this article is to review existing research on CAI use in everyday family life and conceptualize its role from a family systemic perspective. The proposed model suggests that the role of CAI agents in the family system evolves over time via three distinct roles: a virtual assistant, a proxy, and a mirror. This review demonstrates that interactions with CAI agents influence and are influenced by the family dynamics, with implications for family structure, processes, and functioning. Concerns about data privacy and boundaries are discussed further with suggestions for future research, family‐centered interventions, and dissemination. By conceptualizing the roles of CAIs within family systems, this work introduces a triadic process model, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of CAI.