How AI social responsibility shapes consumers’ brand advocacy

Abstract

This paper employs a mixed-methods research approach to investigate the dimensional structure of AI social responsibility and its influence mechanism on consumer brand advocacy. First, based on in-depth interviews with 20 Chinese consumers (conducted January–February 2024) and grounded theory analysis, AI social responsibility(AISR) was classified into two dimensions: technical AISR and institutional AISR. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural validity tests were further applied to questionnaire data collected from an online survey platform (Credamo) in 2024 to validate the rationality of these dimensions and their scales. Second, this paper found through two experimental studies that institutional AISR is more likely to inspire consumers’ brand advocacy than technical AISR. Moreover, perceived AI credibility and perceived AI empathy mediate the impact of AI social responsibility on consumers’ brand advocacy, where AI literacy positively moderates these effects. This paper not only enriches a two-dimensional conceptualization (Technical vs. Institutional AISR) and a validated measurement scale for AISR in the consumer context but also reveals the dual mediating pathways (perceived AI credibility for Technical AISR and perceived AI empathy for Institutional AISR) through which distinct AISR dimensions differentially drive consumer brand advocacy. Furthermore, it uncovers the critical moderating role of AI literacy in amplifying these effects. These findings extend prior CSR and AI-related consumer behavior literature by delineating the nuanced mechanisms and boundary conditions of AISR’s impact.

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