Real me or digital me? Consumers’ consumption responses to online avatars

Advances in artificial intelligence technology have enabled the creation of digital human avatars, but their roles in online experiential consumption scenarios remain unclear. Through four studies, this research investigates the effects of digital human avatars versus real human avatars on consumers’ responses in online experiential product settings. Drawing on warranting theory, we conducted four studies to examine the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of these effects. We demonstrate that compared with real human avatars, digital human avatars elicit lower perceived trustworthiness and a reduced willingness in consumers to engage in social interaction (Study 1). These losses generate subsequent downstream effects on customers’ consumption decisions, with perceived trustworthiness and social interaction willingness serving as serial mediators (Studies 2–4). Additionally, the negative impacts of digital human avatars are moderated by environmental color temperature, as a warm-toned environment alleviates these impacts (Studies 3–4). These insights are valuable for enhancing the roles of digital human avatars in online consumption contexts.