Effectiveness and Acceptability of Conversational Agents for Smoking Cessation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract Introduction Conversational agents (CAs; computer programs that use artificial intelligence to simulate a conversation with users through natural language) have evolved considerably in recent years to support healthcare by providing autonomous, interactive, and accessible services, making them potentially useful for supporting smoking cessation. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an overarching evaluation of their effectiveness and acceptability to inform future development and adoption. Aims and Methods PsycInfo, Web of Science, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, Medline, EMBASE, Communication and Mass Media Complete, and CINAHL Complete were searched for studies examining the use of CAs for smoking cessation. Data from eligible studies were extracted and used for random-effects meta-analyses. Results The search yielded 1245 publications with 13 studies eligible for systematic review (total N = 8236) and six studies for random-effects meta-analyses. All studies reported positive effects on cessation-related outcomes. A meta-analysis with randomized controlled trials reporting on abstinence yielded a sample-weighted odds ratio of 1.66 (95% CI = 1.33% to 2.07%, p