Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in digital marketing to personalize communications, recommend products, and automate customer interactions. Despite these capabilities, consumer trust in AI-powered marketing remains uncertain. This exploratory study examines consumer perceptions of AI-driven digital marketing using survey data collected from 500 U.S. adults. Findings suggest that consumers generally recognize the usefulness of AI-powered marketing but remain cautious about whether organizations using AI act in consumers’ best interests. Respondents expressed concerns regarding privacy, data use, and organizational trustworthiness, while transparency and data security emerged as important trust-building factors. Moderate daily AI users (2–5 hours) reported higher levels of trust in companies employing AI-driven marketing practices than light users (<2 hours). Overall, the findings suggest that consumer acceptance of AI’s functional benefits does not necessarily translate into trust in organizations that deploy these technologies. Implications for marketing managers and directions for future research are discussed.
Source: Marketing Management Journal
DOI: 10.63963/001c.172170
Authors: Jennifer Wehr Holt, Linh Nguyen
Institution: Northern Kentucky University
Language: English
Topic: AI in Service Interactions
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Funder: Northern Kentucky University
OpenAlex ID: W7222529419