Marketing with anthropomorphised AI: insights from consumers

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have transformed marketing by integrating anthropomorphic AI into consumer interactions, reshaping engagement, trust, and decision-making processes. This special issue explores the theoretical and practical implications of AI-driven anthropomorphism in digital marketing, customer service and brand management. The papers in this issue examine key themes, including AI-generated influencers and consumer engagement, AI chatbots and customer experience, AI transparency and consumer behaviour, and the ethical and cross-cultural risks of AI anthropomorphism. Specifically, the studies investigate how anthropomorphic AI influences trust, emotional attachment, parasocial relationships and purchasing behaviour, while also addressing concerns surrounding transparency, authenticity and consumer...