When AI designs the product, consumers have doubts
A new study from Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business and the University of South Florida delivers a pointed warning to companies betting on AI to power their product design: The technology may make products more efficient, but it doesn't necessarily make consumers believe they are more sustainable. In fact, it can do the opposite.
A new study from Georgia State University and the University of South Florida reveals that consumers may have doubts about AI-designed products, despite the technology potentially making them more efficient. According to the research published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, when consumers learn that a product was designed by AI rather than a human, they rate it as less sustainable.
In one experiment, an identical backpack was perceived as 4.27 out of 7 in sustainability when described as human-designed, but only 3.61 when labeled as AI-designed. This trend was consistent across various tests, including a live A/B test for a reusable cup and an experiment involving a free sustainability-focused toothbrush. The study suggests that the emotional aspect of consumers' perception plays a significant role, as they associate sustainability with human values like empathy, responsibility, and moral intent.
When AI involvement is transparent but not framed as guided by genuine care, it can lead to skepticism and reduced trust in the product's sustainability claims.
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