How Consumers Negotiate Trust and Responsibility Towards AI ‐Generated Virtual Influencers?

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is increasingly embedded in socially interactive roles, with virtual influencers emerging as a prominent form of AI‐mediated communication. This study examines how consumers engage with agents that simulate social presence yet lack independent agency. Using a mixed‐methods design, we investigate how authenticity, transparency, and privacy concerns relate to trust, acceptance, and responsibility attribution. The findings show that consumer responses cannot be reduced to trust formation alone. Instead, individuals evaluate whether engagement remains acceptable under conditions of artificial agency. Authenticity supports trust by providing coherence, while transparency and privacy concerns introduce competing interpretations related to control and risk. Privacy concerns are also associated with greater responsibility attribution to brands and developers. These results suggest that engagement with virtual influencers can be interpreted as a process in which consumers negotiate trust and accountability. The study offers an integrated perspective on AI‐mediated influence and highlights the role of distributed responsibility in shaping consumer responses.