Understanding the impact of technology interaction on dysfunctional consumer behavior

Abstract

This study investigates how interactions with AI agents influence consumers’ propensity for unethical behavior, addressing a gap in research on AI’s role in ethical decision-making. Through two experimental studies, we examine whether AI interactions reduce perceptions of social judgment, thereby increasing consumer misconduct. Study 1 tested an online compensation request scenario, showing that AI-driven interactions lower moral scrutiny, leading to more unethical behaviors, with social judgment fully mediating this effect. Study 2 replicated these findings in an airline compensation request context with an increased monetary incentive, further confirming that AI interactions diminish accountability cues, fostering moral disengagement. Our research contributes to the literature on AI-mediated consumer behavior by integrating social judgment and moral disengagement theories, demonstrating that AI’s depersonalized nature can weaken ethical decision-making. By advancing discussions on AI ethics and consumer decision-making, this study sheds light on the unintended consequences of AI-driven service environments