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Anthropomorphism in AI, Consumer Trust and Purchase Intention: A Secondary Data Study
Subject area: Management and Commerce · Area of research: Artificial Intelligence
Abstract
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes embedded in consumer-facing channels such as chatbots, voice assistants and virtual shopping agents, brands increasingly give these systems human-like names, voices, faces and conversational styles. This paper examines how anthropomorphic design influences consumer trust and, through trust, purchase intention. Using a qualitative secondary-data approach, it synthesises peer-reviewed articles, industry reports and publicly available consumer survey material and analyses them thematically, without formulating or testing hypotheses. A generalised literature review, together with its limitations, frames the analysis. The qualitative findings indicate that human-like cues generally raise perceived warmth, social presence and credibility, which strengthens cognitive and affective trust, and that trust is the central pathway to purchase intention. The effect is conditional: excessive human likeness, privacy concerns, unmet expectations, and product, task and cultural factors can weaken trust. A conceptual framework and practical implications for brands designing AI interfaces are proposed.
Keywords
anthropomorphism; artificial intelligence; chatbots; consumer trust; purchase intention
References
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How to cite this paper
@article{1724478,
author = {Cheshta Agrawal, Prachi Agrawal},
title = {Anthropomorphism in AI, Consumer Trust and Purchase Intention: A Secondary Data Study},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {4},
pages = {4585-4590},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1724478.pdf},
abstract = {As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes embedded in consumer-facing channels such as chatbots, voice assistants and virtual shopping agents, brands increasingly give these systems human-like names, voices, faces and conversational styles. This paper examines how anthropomorphic design influences consumer trust and, through trust, purchase intention. Using a qualitative secondary-data approach, it synthesises peer-reviewed articles, industry reports and publicly available consumer survey material and analyses them thematically, without formulating or testing hypotheses. A generalised literature review, together with its limitations, frames the analysis. The qualitative findings indicate that human-like cues generally raise perceived warmth, social presence and credibility, which strengthens cognitive and affective trust, and that trust is the central pathway to purchase intention. The effect is conditional: excessive human likeness, privacy concerns, unmet expectations, and product, task and cultural factors can weaken trust. A conceptual framework and practical implications for brands designing AI interfaces are proposed.},
keywords = {anthropomorphism; artificial intelligence; chatbots; consumer trust; purchase intention},
month = {October},
}