A new study from the University of Washington has shown that the use of the term "artificial intelligence" in product descriptions negatively affects their sales.
The study conducted an experiment that surveyed more than 1,000 adults in the United States to assess the relationship between artificial intelligence disclosure and consumer behavior.
The results showed that products whose descriptions indicated the use of artificial intelligence were less popular.
“When AI is mentioned, it tends to lower emotional trust, which in turn decreases purchase intentions. We found emotional trust plays a critical role in how consumers perceive AI-powered products,” says Mesut Cicek, clinical associate professor of marketing and lead author of the study.
The study used questions and descriptions of different categories of products and services. One of these products was a smart TV, whose descriptions differed only in that one of them mentioned artificial intelligence. The group of respondents who saw the mention of AI was much less willing to buy the product than the group that saw the product without AI.
AI was perceived most negatively when it came to high-risk products and services. These are products that consumers find very disturbing and difficult to accept, such as expensive electronics, medical devices, or financial services. The mention of artificial intelligence in such cases had only a negative impact.
“Marketers should carefully consider how they present AI in their product descriptions or develop strategies to increase emotional trust. Emphasizing AI may not always be beneficial, particularly for high-risk products. Focus on describing the features or benefits and avoid the AI buzzwords,” Cicek says.