Xusen Cheng, Ang Zeng, Bo Yang, Yu Liu, Xiaoping Zhang
{"title":"Online reviews generated by generative artificial intelligence versus human: A study of perceived differences and user adoption behavior","authors":"Xusen Cheng, Ang Zeng, Bo Yang, Yu Liu, Xiaoping Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.elerap.2025.101497","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Companies in various industries are attempting to integrate Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) into their existing businesses. In the e-commerce domain, GAI has shown tremendous potential in generating online reviews. However, existing literature has paid less attention to how consumers respond to GAI-generated reviews versus human-generated reviews. Moreover, little research has explored whether and why consumers are willing to use GAI to generate online reviews. By conducting two experiments, this study investigates how consumers respond differently to GAI-generated reviews versus human-generated reviews and identifies potential factors that influence consumers’ willingness to use GAI to generate reviews. Findings indicate that although there is no significant difference in consumers’ perceptions between human-generated and GAI-generated reviews in terms of review credibility, review richness, and review usefulness, only half of the participants are willing to use GAI to generate reviews. Further analysis results suggest that individuals who consider GAI unethical tend to avoid using GAI. Those with high personal innovativeness are more willing to use GAI to generate online reviews. Our findings deepen the understanding of consumer attitudes toward GAI-generated reviews and provide implications for the deployment of GAI in the online review system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50541,"journal":{"name":"Electronic Commerce Research and Applications","volume":"71 ","pages":"Article 101497"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Electronic Commerce Research and Applications","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567422325000225","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Companies in various industries are attempting to integrate Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) into their existing businesses. In the e-commerce domain, GAI has shown tremendous potential in generating online reviews. However, existing literature has paid less attention to how consumers respond to GAI-generated reviews versus human-generated reviews. Moreover, little research has explored whether and why consumers are willing to use GAI to generate online reviews. By conducting two experiments, this study investigates how consumers respond differently to GAI-generated reviews versus human-generated reviews and identifies potential factors that influence consumers’ willingness to use GAI to generate reviews. Findings indicate that although there is no significant difference in consumers’ perceptions between human-generated and GAI-generated reviews in terms of review credibility, review richness, and review usefulness, only half of the participants are willing to use GAI to generate reviews. Further analysis results suggest that individuals who consider GAI unethical tend to avoid using GAI. Those with high personal innovativeness are more willing to use GAI to generate online reviews. Our findings deepen the understanding of consumer attitudes toward GAI-generated reviews and provide implications for the deployment of GAI in the online review system.
期刊介绍:
Electronic Commerce Research and Applications aims to create and disseminate enduring knowledge for the fast-changing e-commerce environment. A major dilemma in e-commerce research is how to achieve a balance between the currency and the life span of knowledge.
Electronic Commerce Research and Applications will contribute to the establishment of a research community to create the knowledge, technology, theory, and applications for the development of electronic commerce. This is targeted at the intersection of technological potential and business aims.