Why do you resist digital resurrection? Exploring the barriers affecting consumer resistance to digital resurrection technology

Abstract

With the advancement of digital technologies, digital resurrection, a technology that enables the recreation of deceased individuals in a digital form, has gained increasing attention. However, consumer resistance remains a significant barrier to widespread adoption despite its potential benefits. While prior studies have emphasized technical and ethical considerations, less focus has been placed on consumer resistance. This research fills that gap by employing the innovation resistance theory to explore the key factors driving resistance to digital resurrection technology. Specifically, we explore the role of functional, psychological, and social barriers on consumer resistance and examine the moderating roles of informational familiarity and intimacy with the deceased. Using stepwise hierarchical regression analyses on 319 survey responses, our results indicate that value, risk, tradition, image barriers, and social norms are significant drivers of consumer resistance. Moreover, informational familiarity reduces the impact of value barriers on resistance, while intimacy with the deceased reduces the impact of tradition barriers on resistance. This study extends innovation resistance theory to digital resurrection and incorporates social norms, providing deeper insights into the mechanisms of consumer resistance. The findings offer practical implications for technology developers and marketers to better understand and mitigate the barriers to adopting digital resurrection.