This study investigates the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated spokespersons in advertising compared to human counterparts, addressing a critical gap in marketing research as generative AI becomes more prevalent.
We conducted three experimental studies to examine hypotheses related to consumer responses toward AI versus human spokespersons.
The results reveal that AI-generated spokespersons are less effective than human spokespersons in advertisements, countering assumptions about AI’s potential impact in marketing contexts. Using construal-level theory, we demonstrate that AI-generated spokespersons create a greater psychological distance from consumers, reducing empathy and ultimately decreasing advertisement effectiveness across for-profit and non-profit contexts. Furthermore, when AI spokespersons exhibit high anthropomorphic cues, the negative effect on advertisement effectiveness diminishes.
This research extends construal-level theory to AI–human interactions, offering valuable insights into the strategic use of AI-generated spokespersons in advertising. The findings inform marketing practitioners and scholars about optimizing advertisement strategies in a growing era of generative AI technologies.
