Defining, Designing and Distinguishing Artificial Companions: A Systematic Literature Review

The present study systematically reviewed scientific literature addressing the concept of artificial companions (ACs). The dataset, which encompasses 22 years of research, was drawn from multiple interdisciplinary sources and resulted in the development of an interdisciplinary definition of the AC concept. This definition consists of two key characteristics: adaptivity and engagement, the hallmarks of ACs to form emotional bonds and long-term relationships with users. The study also analyzed various design properties associated with ACs, categorized into five groups: adaptivity to the user, adaptivity to the usage context, engagement-facilitating behavior, the agent’s personality, and its appearance. In the third part, the study explored AC scenarios and identified roles that ACs can perform with their associated competencies, user groups, and application areas. The findings of this study are seen as a proposal for future empirical research to test what features in communication and interaction design play a crucial role in shaping the perception of an agent as an AC.