“Facilitators” vs “substitutes”: the influence of artificial intelligence products’ image on consumer evaluation

Abstract

Purpose The rapid innovation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology promotes the prosperity of the AI product market. However, consumers seem to have negative attitudes (e.g. prejudice, aversion) toward AI products and services. Those negative attitudes are rooted in the fear that AI might replace humans. The authors thus propose that turning the image of AI from substitutes to facilitators can alleviate identity threat perception. This paper aims to examine how the image of AI products (facilitators vs substitutes) influences consumer evaluation and explores the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions. Design/methodology/approach This study uses four experiments with between-subjects designs to investigate whether the image of AI products (facilitators vs substitutes) will affect consumer evaluation in specific consumption and service scenarios. The same products (or services) were manipulated as “substitute” or “facilitator” through advertisement slogans. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition and read the advertisement, then they reported their evaluation. The mediator perceived identity threat and the moderator preconceived perceptions of AI risks were measured by scales. The moderator, self-affirmation, was manipulated through the instruction of the experiment. Findings This study demonstrates that consumers give higher evaluation of AI products in the image of the facilitator than in the image of the substitute (Study 1). The underlying mechanism is that the perceived identity threat caused by “facilitator” products is lower than “substitute” products (Study 2). The effect of AI image is moderated by consumers’ preconceived perceptions of AI risks (Study 3) and self-affirmation (Study 4). Specifically, for consumers who have a strong AI risk-perception, this effect exists, but it disappears for consumers who have a weak AI risk perception. When consumers are given a strong self-affirmation, the negative impact of the “substitute” image disappears. Originality/value This paper analyzes the psychological root of consumers’ negative evaluation of AI technology from the perspective of AI’s image. The proposed typology of “substitutes” and “facilitators” helps expand the vision on brand/product image and enriches the research on consumer self-identity in today’s highly informatized market. The findings shed light on how to choose appropriate image for AI products, which will be crucial for increasing consumers’ acceptance of AI products.

The Impact of AI on Trends, Design, and Consumer Behavior

“…Moreover, our research aligns with studies by Morosan (2023), Wang et al (2023), andZhang et al (2022), which examine the diverse contexts in which consumer engagement with AI manifests (Morosan, 2023;Wang et al, 2023;Zhang et al, 2022). These studies collectively highlight the complexities of trust, performance ambiguity, and curiosity in consumer interactions with AI, echoing our findings on the nuanced factors influencing consumer engagement and willingness to pay for AI-designed products.…”

Complement or substitute? A study of the impact of artificial intelligence on consumers’ resistance

“…As the technology is rapidly replacing humans, the relationship between human and AI is gaining popularity (Wang et al, 2023). Some believe that AI will benefit people by creating more jobs (Bao et al, 2022) and providing assistance to humans, such as ALexa, Siri and Bixby.…”

“…As the technology is rapidly replacing humans, the relationship between human and AI is gaining popularity (Wang et al. , 2023).…”

Where have the ethical and moral standards landed? Consumer self-congruency and psychological distance in the context of AI-based services

“…In other words, consumer reception towards AI robots is likely to be positive if the robots align with their values and self-concept. Conversely, if AI robots conflict with the consumer's self-concept, a more negative perception may arise (Wang, Zhu, Jiang, Xia, & Xiao, 2023). This alignment reflects consumers' resonance with the service's values and principles (Consiglio & van Osselaer, 2022).…”

“…In this context, if the AI robot replaces human workers in a way that aligns with the consumer's values and self-concept, such as increasing efficiency or promoting sustainability, the consumer may be more likely to accept the robot (Stevens et al, 2023). However, if the AI robot replaces human workers in a way that conflicts with the consumer's self-concept, such as causing job loss or decreasing wages, the consumer may have a more negative perception of the robot (Wang et al, 2023). Consumers who interact with mechanical AI and focus on its ability to increase service efficiency may pay less attention to the ethical and moral issues of AI replacing human labor, as they see the use of mechanical AI as a complement rather than a threat to human labor (Lou, Kang, & Tse, 2022).…”