Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence Assistant: The Effect of Assistant Type on Variety Seeking

In service marketing, AI assistants and self-service technology have become popular. As a result, it is critical to enrich the understanding of whether consumers react differently in the artificial intelligence (AI) service context in comparison with the human service context. This study examines th...

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Main Authors: Yu Zhang, Mengya Yang, Ziling Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.904302/full
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author Yu Zhang
Mengya Yang
Ziling Zhang
author_facet Yu Zhang
Mengya Yang
Ziling Zhang
author_sort Yu Zhang
collection DOAJ
description In service marketing, AI assistants and self-service technology have become popular. As a result, it is critical to enrich the understanding of whether consumers react differently in the artificial intelligence (AI) service context in comparison with the human service context. This study examines the effect of assistant type (AI vs. human) on consumers’ decision-making. Through three experiments, this research finds that variety seeking will be higher when consumers are making decision in AI (vs. human) service environment. Furthermore, we tested uncertainty as the underlying mechanism. Moreover, we demonstrated that this pattern is moderated by situational involvement. Specifically, in consumption contexts of high involvement, the consumers are less likely to seek variety, and in consumption contexts of low involvement, they prefer more variety (study 3). This research offers service providers new insights by revealing how, why, and when the interaction of AI technology influences consumers’ decision-making in service marketing.
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spelling doaj.art-97e761bcd43d4e46a97d28c0c8a160142022-12-22T02:28:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-05-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.904302904302Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence Assistant: The Effect of Assistant Type on Variety SeekingYu Zhang0Mengya Yang1Ziling Zhang2School of Management, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, ChinaBusiness School, Nankai University, Tianjin, ChinaAlliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United KingdomIn service marketing, AI assistants and self-service technology have become popular. As a result, it is critical to enrich the understanding of whether consumers react differently in the artificial intelligence (AI) service context in comparison with the human service context. This study examines the effect of assistant type (AI vs. human) on consumers’ decision-making. Through three experiments, this research finds that variety seeking will be higher when consumers are making decision in AI (vs. human) service environment. Furthermore, we tested uncertainty as the underlying mechanism. Moreover, we demonstrated that this pattern is moderated by situational involvement. Specifically, in consumption contexts of high involvement, the consumers are less likely to seek variety, and in consumption contexts of low involvement, they prefer more variety (study 3). This research offers service providers new insights by revealing how, why, and when the interaction of AI technology influences consumers’ decision-making in service marketing.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.904302/fullartificial intelligenceassistant typeuncertaintyinvolvementvariety seeking
spellingShingle Yu Zhang
Mengya Yang
Ziling Zhang
Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence Assistant: The Effect of Assistant Type on Variety Seeking
Frontiers in Psychology
artificial intelligence
assistant type
uncertainty
involvement
variety seeking
title Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence Assistant: The Effect of Assistant Type on Variety Seeking
title_full Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence Assistant: The Effect of Assistant Type on Variety Seeking
title_fullStr Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence Assistant: The Effect of Assistant Type on Variety Seeking
title_full_unstemmed Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence Assistant: The Effect of Assistant Type on Variety Seeking
title_short Uncertainty of Artificial Intelligence Assistant: The Effect of Assistant Type on Variety Seeking
title_sort uncertainty of artificial intelligence assistant the effect of assistant type on variety seeking
topic artificial intelligence
assistant type
uncertainty
involvement
variety seeking
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.904302/full
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AT mengyayang uncertaintyofartificialintelligenceassistanttheeffectofassistanttypeonvarietyseeking
AT zilingzhang uncertaintyofartificialintelligenceassistanttheeffectofassistanttypeonvarietyseeking