PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Numerous “smart” consumer products are already available on the market, and the diversity of such smart products is expected to increase considerably in the future. However, use diffusion of these products is hampered by consumers’ lack of trust toward smart products. Accordingly, trust must be built in smart products before companies (and society) can tap the full economic potential of these products. The present review of articles investigates various factors that might influence this process. We classify these factors into several categories: control, transparency, security and protection, product performance, product handling, brand, as well as onboarding and information. Furthermore, we account for the relevance of these factors in three of the primary fields in which smart products are currently available: smart homes, mobility, as well as entertainment and communication. The review concludes that consumer control over smart, autonomous products has a significant impact across all three fields with regard to establishing a fundamental level of trust. Additional trust can be created through, for example, onboarding and information features, which help users to learn about smart solutions and their behavior.