Using chatbots to enlarge human capabilities - insights from a pandemic context

People from favelas in Rio de Janeiro have used social media (SM) for struggling pandemic impacts. Through SM, they have raised donations, spread useful information and carried out the sanitization of the territories. However, using Capability Approach (CA) as theoretical lens, we were able to observe how context was fundamental and the use of ICT tools, while enabled, restricted the conversion factors that would make it possible to achieve capabilities and functionings. Structural factors as digital divide also undermined agency freedom as well as individual´s choice. Researches indicate that IT artifacts could be useful to integrate social media in activities, as well as the reduction in the digital divide could be related to the possibilities that the use of virtual assistants such as chatbots can have in reducing the limit of participation. Aiming to fill this gap, we have used design science research to elaborate and validate an IT artifact, most specifically a chatbot, which could augment people and social media interaction, fostering human development.