Table 3 AI mechanisms targeting food...

Table 3

AI mechanisms targeting food consumption motivation

Motivation element	Examples	AI mechanism	Value for consumer	Sustainability outcome	Reference
Habit activation for sustainable choices	AI-powered reminder apps and contextual nudging systems	Collaborative filtering, habit nudges, contextual reminders	Behavioral support, Convenience and accessibility, Self-identity alignment	Frequent low-impact food choices, long-term habit change	Kamran et al. (2021), Starke et al. (2025), Tanwar et al. (2024), Clark et al. (2025)
Positive emotional connection with sustainable food choices	Gamified nutrition apps with badges, sentiment-aware chatbots	Sentiment-aware messages, gamified feedback (e.g. badges)	Behavioral support, Engagement and participation, Emotional empowerment	Boosts intrinsic motivation for eco-friendly behavior	Aman et al. (2025), Braga et al. (2024), Fadhil and Gabrielli (2017), Beery et al. (2024a)
Goal commitment and self-regulation	AI-based diet tracking and personalized reminder systems	Adaptive recommender systems, reinforcement learning, predictive analytics	Behavioral Support, Personalization and Relevance, Emotional value	More responsible food habits, reduced household food waste	Braga et al. (2024), Chiu et al. (2022), Fadhil and Gabrielli (2017), Kamran et al. (2021), Linseisen et al. (2025), Starke et al. (2025), Chatterjee et al. (2025)
Values-based personalization	Value-driven recommendation systems aligned with ethical and local choices	Value-based filtering, explainable AI	Trust and transparency, Personalization and relevance, Sustainability insight	Food aligned with ethical and environmental values	Aman et al. (2025), Linseisen et al. (2025), Nunkoo et al. (2024), Starke et al. (2025), Tanwar et al. (2024), Tinoco-Lara et al. (2024), Dash et al. (2024)
Consequence awareness and reflection	Dashboards and impact simulation tools displaying CO₂ and water savings	Dashboards, simulations of food impact	Sustainability insight, Behavioral support, Nutritional empowerment	Greater awareness and long-term sustainable choices	Aman et al. (2025), Fadhil and Gabrielli (2017), Kamran et al. (2021), Linseisen et al. (2025), Nunkoo et al. (2024), Capecchi et al. (2025)

Motivation element	Examples	AI mechanism	Value for consumer	Sustainability outcome	Reference
Habit activation for sustainable choices	AI-powered reminder apps and contextual nudging systems	Collaborative filtering, habit nudges, contextual reminders	Behavioral support, Convenience and accessibility, Self-identity alignment	Frequent low-impact food choices, long-term habit change	Kamran et al. (2021), Starke et al. (2025), Tanwar et al. (2024), Clark et al. (2025)
Positive emotional connection with sustainable food choices	Gamified nutrition apps with badges, sentiment-aware chatbots	Sentiment-aware messages, gamified feedback (e.g. badges)	Behavioral support, Engagement and participation, Emotional empowerment	Boosts intrinsic motivation for eco-friendly behavior	Aman et al. (2025), Braga et al. (2024), Fadhil and Gabrielli (2017), Beery et al. (2024a)
Goal commitment and self-regulation	AI-based diet tracking and personalized reminder systems	Adaptive recommender systems, reinforcement learning, predictive analytics	Behavioral Support, Personalization and Relevance, Emotional value	More responsible food habits, reduced household food waste	Braga et al. (2024), Chiu et al. (2022), Fadhil and Gabrielli (2017), Kamran et al. (2021), Linseisen et al. (2025), Starke et al. (2025), Chatterjee et al. (2025)
Values-based personalization	Value-driven recommendation systems aligned with ethical and local choices	Value-based filtering, explainable AI	Trust and transparency, Personalization and relevance, Sustainability insight	Food aligned with ethical and environmental values	Aman et al. (2025), Linseisen et al. (2025), Nunkoo et al. (2024), Starke et al. (2025), Tanwar et al. (2024), Tinoco-Lara et al. (2024), Dash et al. (2024)
Consequence awareness and reflection	Dashboards and impact simulation tools displaying CO₂ and water savings	Dashboards, simulations of food impact	Sustainability insight, Behavioral support, Nutritional empowerment	Greater awareness and long-term sustainable choices	Aman et al. (2025), Fadhil and Gabrielli (2017), Kamran et al. (2021), Linseisen et al. (2025), Nunkoo et al. (2024), Capecchi et al. (2025)

Note(s): The table links AI interventions to motivational drivers, illustrating how personalization, feedback, and value alignment foster habit formation, emotional engagement, and sustained sustainable food choices

Source(s): Authors’ own

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