With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) methods, smart decision support systems (DSSs) are becoming ubiquitous. Such systems help reduce complexity for operators by automating data integration tasks and recommending actions. However, these systems are sometimes flawed. It is not sufficiently understood whether, when and why operators comply with such systems in erroneous or correct cases. We empirically investigate compliance with correct and defective DSSs, the influence of correct and erroneous DSS's on performance and subjective factors related to compliance. In the study, a business game was used as an experimental setting in which 40 users took part. The impact of system correctness on user acceptance, trust, compliance and overall performance was investigated. The results show that the defective system reduces trust in automation (−47%), reduces usefulness (−58%), reduces acceptance (−62%) and reduces overall performance (−32%). Overall, the defective system was less user-friendly (−27%). Nevertheless, users who rated the system's usability higher, outperformed users who rated it lower. Usability is therefore an intermediary that compensates for the negative influence of erroneous DSSs.

In this article, the public perception and acceptance of novel vehicle technologies – autonomous driving (AD) and connected driving (CD) – is investigated. Following a multistep empirical procedure, we explore participants’ cognitions towards AD and CD. Therefore, a questionnaire study was run in which the perceived benefits and barriers of the technologies were evaluated by 443 participants in a wide age range (18–76 years). In addition, we took a closer look at the impact of user diversity (gender, age, need for privacy, control, risk taking tolerance and technical self-efficacy) on the evaluation of both driving technologies. Finally, cluster analyses were used out to identify evaluation profiles in both benefits and barriers, respectively. Overall, CD is seen significantly more positive compared to AD. With increasing risk taking tolerance and technical self-efficacy, the perception of the benefits was higher. In contrast, the perception of barriers in novel vehicle technologies was independent of personality factors and attitudes. Here, privacy and data protection issues were seen as key disadvantages. The findings can be used to develop timely and individually tailored public information and communication strategies for automated and connected vehicle technologies.

Today's cities endure major risks like global warming due to gas emissions. This is challenging for both humans and technical developments. E-mobility, however, raises the opportunities of enhancing a more sustainable mobility (structure) and providing healthier living in future cities. The paper identifies not only which locations of fast-charging stations in a city are preferred but also reveals how users evaluate them. With multiple empirical focus group studies, a user-centered evaluation could be carried out. This is important to identify possible trade-offs for infrastructural planning due to e-mobility use in the future. In total, eight main evaluation criteria for fast-charging locations regarding both position and concrete realization were derived in the subsequent discussions about the charging infrastructure. An overall accordance could be identified in the discussions, which indicates a step in the right direction for the long term goal of building a charging network with the help of user preferences.