From Voice to Value: Leveraging AI to Enhance Spoken Online Reviews on the Go

TL;DR

This paper introduces Vocalizer, a mobile app that uses AI and voice input to make writing online reviews easier and more detailed, encouraging more users to share their opinions on the go.

Contribution

We developed Vocalizer, a novel voice-based review platform enhanced with AI, and evaluated its impact on user engagement and review quality through a longitudinal study.

Findings

Users frequently used AI to add detailed information

AI features increased user self-efficacy in review writing

AI assistance encouraged more online reviews

Abstract

Online reviews help people make better decisions. Review platforms usually depend on typed input, where leaving a good review requires significant effort because users must carefully organize and articulate their thoughts. This may discourage users from leaving comprehensive and high-quality reviews, especially when they are on the go. To address this challenge, we developed Vocalizer, a mobile application that enables users to provide reviews through voice input, with enhancements from a large language model (LLM). In a longitudinal study, we analysed user interactions with the app, focusing on AI-driven features that help refine and improve reviews. Our findings show that users frequently utilized the AI agent to add more detailed information to their reviews. We also show how interactive AI features can improve users self-efficacy and willingness to share reviews online. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI assistance into review-writing systems.