Affiliation:
1. Department of Management Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University Aarhus 8210 Denmark
2. Department of Management University of Agder Kristiansand 4630 Norway
Abstract
AbstractUnlike previous generations of artificial intelligence (AI), AI assistants today can autonomously perform actions without human input or intervention. Several studies have proposed but not tested the notion that increased levels of AI autonomy may ultimately conflict with consumers’ fundamental need for autonomy themselves. Across five experiments (N = 1981), including representative samples and pre‐registered hypotheses, we investigate consumer responses to high (vs. low) AI autonomy in the context of online shopping. The results show a pronounced negative effect of high AI autonomy on consumers’ adoption intentions – an effect mediated by consumers’ relative state of powerlessness in the presence of high AI autonomy. However, when consumers face situations characterized by scarcity, such as when preferred options are being sold out rapidly (e.g. Black Friday), the aversive aspects of high (vs. low) AI autonomy are attenuated. Together, these findings offer novel insights regarding whether, when and why consumers are willing to adopt high (vs. low)‐autonomy AI assistants in online shopping settings.
Subject
Management of Technology and Innovation,Strategy and Management,General Business, Management and Accounting