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Avoiding excessive AI service agent anthropomorphism : Examining its role in delivering bad news
Mulcahy, Rory Francis Riedel, Aimee Keating, Byron Beatson, Amanda Letheren, Kate
Mulcahy, Rory Francis
Riedel, Aimee
Keating, Byron
Beatson, Amanda
Letheren, Kate
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it seeks to understand how different forms of anthropomorphism, namely verbal and visual, can enhance or detract from the subjective well-being of consumers and their co-creation behaviors whilst collaborating with artificial intelligence (AI) service agents. Second, it seeks to understand if AI anxiety and trust in message, function as primary and secondary consumer appraisals of collaborating with AI service agents.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model is developed using the theories of the uncanny valley and cognitive appraisal theory (CAT) with three hypotheses identified to guide the experimental work. The hypotheses are tested across three experimental studies which manipulate the level of anthropomorphism of AI.
Findings
Results demonstrate that verbal and visual anthropomorphism can assist consumer well-being and likelihood of co-creation. Further, this relationship is explained by the mediators of anxiety and trust.
Originality/value
The empirical results and theorizing suggest verbal anthropomorphism should be present (absent) and paired with low (high) visual anthropomorphism, which supports the “uncanny valley” effect. A moderated mediation relationship is established, which confirms AI anxiety and trust in a message as mediators of the AI service agent anthropomorphism-consumer subjective well-being/co-creation relationship. This supports the theorizing of the conceptual model based on the “uncanny valley” and CAT.
Keywords
well-being, cognitive appraisal theory, uncanny valley, Anthropomorphism
Date
2024
Type
Journal article
Journal
Book
Volume
34
Issue
1
Page Range
98-126
Article Number
ACU Department
Peter Faber Business School
Faculty of Law and Business
Faculty of Law and Business
Collections
Relation URI
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled
Open
Open
Notes
© Emerald Publishing Limited
For author manuscript: © Emerald Publishing Limited License: Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0
For author manuscript: © Emerald Publishing Limited License: Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0