Do Virtual Faces Lead to Real Purchases? Investigating AI Anthropomorphism & Its Impact on Purchase Intention

Abstract

The research paper focuses on the impact of AI anthropomorphism on purchase intention, with the mediating role of marketing personalization, entertainment value and perceived homophily in the context of AI influencers/models. Brands around the world are adopting AI marketing tools, in which AI influencers/models are a relatively newer domain. The aim of the research is to fill the gap of research done on AI influencers/models in the Pakistani consumer market, discussing its practical implications on the fashion industry in particular. The study involved a sample size of 220 respondents, Pakistani residents aged 16 to 45 years, who had either seen or interacted with AI influencers/models before in any media type, using convenience and snowball sampling technique for data collection, which was then run through SPSS using Process Hayes Mediation Model 4. The results of the mediation analysis represented that the three proposed hypotheses in the study were accepted. The hypotheses were; marketing personalization mediates the positive relationship between AI anthropomorphism and purchase Intention, entertainment value mediates the positive relationship between AI anthropomorphism and purchase intention, and lastly, entertainment value mediates the positive relationship between AI anthropomorphism and purchase intention. The proven hypotheses signify the importance of the practical implications of the research on the Pakistani fashion industry, as big global brands are moving towards and investing in newer technologies like AI marketing tools.

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