Consumers distrust products with mention of artificial intelligence in the description: study
The greatest negativity towards artificial intelligence is revealed when mentioning products and services with a high degree of risk.
New research from Washington State University revealed, that the mention of artificial intelligence (AI) in product descriptions can negatively affect their sales.
The study surveyed more than 1,000 US adults to assess the impact of disclosures about the use of AI on consumer behavior.
The study found that products that described the use of AI were less popular among consumers.
“The mention of AI reduces consumers’ emotional trust in the product, which in turn reduces their desire to purchase the product. Emotional trust is critical to the acceptance of AI products.”, — noted Mesut Čiček, clinical associate professor of the Department of Marketing and the lead author of the study.
One example in the study was a smart TV, the description of which included mention of AI in one case and not in the other. The group of respondents who saw a mention of AI showed significantly less desire to purchase the product than those who saw a description without AI.
The mention of AI had a particularly negative impact on products and services with a high degree of risk, such as expensive electronics, medical devices and financial services. Consumers were less likely to buy such products if the description mentioned AI.
“Marketers need to think carefully about how to present AI in their product descriptions. It’s important to find strategies that build emotional trust with consumers. Emphasizing AI may not always be helpful, especially for high-risk products. Instead, focus on describing features and benefits product”, – emphasized Čiček.
