TY - GEN
T1 - From Robotic to Relatable
T2 - 2025 2nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Media Technology and Interaction Design, ICADI 2025
AU - Ho, Amic G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Copyright held by the owner/author(s).
PY - 2026/4/19
Y1 - 2026/4/19
N2 - The rise of AI influencers in digital advertising underscores the importance of addressing how affective computing technologies impact users' sense of authenticity and trust. We investigated the role of emotional expression in building trust and authenticity in an AI-supported form of social contact. This has been examined in a study involving 200 participants, aged between 18 and 25, from a variety of academic disciplines. The results indicated that empathic AI influencers were rated as significantly more trustworthy than neutral and robotic AI influencers. Furthermore, when an AI influencer expressed sympathy-related emotions, authenticity evaluations were enhanced. Implications for digital advertising strategy, HCI design, and ethical AI triage in a social context suggest emotional computing will play a key role in minimising the authenticity gap between humans and AI.
AB - The rise of AI influencers in digital advertising underscores the importance of addressing how affective computing technologies impact users' sense of authenticity and trust. We investigated the role of emotional expression in building trust and authenticity in an AI-supported form of social contact. This has been examined in a study involving 200 participants, aged between 18 and 25, from a variety of academic disciplines. The results indicated that empathic AI influencers were rated as significantly more trustworthy than neutral and robotic AI influencers. Furthermore, when an AI influencer expressed sympathy-related emotions, authenticity evaluations were enhanced. Implications for digital advertising strategy, HCI design, and ethical AI triage in a social context suggest emotional computing will play a key role in minimising the authenticity gap between humans and AI.
KW - AI Influencers
KW - authenticity perceptions
KW - emotional Expression
KW - empathetic
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038644983
U2 - 10.1145/3795926.3795956
DO - 10.1145/3795926.3795956
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:105038644983
T3 - Proceedings of 2025 2nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Media Technology and Interaction Design, ICADI 2025
SP - 185
EP - 189
BT - Proceedings of 2025 2nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Media Technology and Interaction Design, ICADI 2025
Y2 - 28 November 2025 through 30 November 2025
ER -