This study, grounded in the UTAUT2 model, examines the effects of cute appearance and rich facial expressions of AI chatbots on performance expectancy, effort expectations, social influence, and hedonic motivation, as well as how these factors influence users’ intentions to continue using the chatbots. The results indicate that, compared to a non-cute appearance and non-rich facial expressions, a cute appearance and rich facial expressions significantly enhance users’ performance expectancy and hedonic motivation. However, no significant effects were found for effort expectancy and social influence. Additionally, path analysis reveals that performance expectancy, social influence, and hedonic motivation have a significant positive impact on users’ intention to continue using AI chatbots, while effort expectancy shows no significant effect.