Is persuasive power a human trait or a design feature? Artificial intelligence has increasingly been developed to mimic human processes, a trend reflected in the theorization of AI perceptions. Frameworks such as Mind Perception Theory and the Stereotype Content Model, originally developed to describe human social cognition, are now frequently used to explain the effects of increasingly anthropomorphized AI agents. In this seminar, two projects will be presented exploring the differing perceptions and persuasion effects of human- and AI-generated content.
The first project examines how perceptions of human-like virtual influencers depend on their content agency. Specifically, we investigate how human- versus AI-generated influencer content impacts perceived warmth and competence, which subsequently affects consumers’ intentions to engage in sustainable fashion behaviors.
The second project explores how the use of «thinking and reasoning» cues by AI agents affects sustainable food choices. This study highlights a dual effect: how these cues can simultaneously increase perceived credibility and user frustration.
Collectively, these studies show that human- and AI-generated content result in comparable persuasion effects, suggesting that these outcomes are closely linked to AI design strategies intended to mimic human processes.
Ana Isabel Loureiro Lopes: Assistant Professor in Corporate Communication at the Department of Communication Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She has a PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Antwerp. Previously she worked as a Researcher at igMIP project, a partnership between the University of Minho (Portugal) and Bosch Car Multimedia (2016–2017). She has published her work at reputable international peer-reviewed journals as well as several book chapters.
