Merchandising/Marketing/Retailing: Management

Should We Be Afraid of Artificial Intelligence? Consumer Willingness to Share Personal Information with Fashion Sales Robots

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Abstract

Recent research on the use of robots in retail settings presents a wide-spread concern among consumers regarding privacy risks and malfunctions in service experiences. This research speculates that such apprehensions likely prevent consumers from sharing information with AI robots, which negatively affects fashion retailers’ abilities to gauge their consumers’ desires. Consumers’ willingness to share (WTS) information helps fashion businesses make strategic marketing decisions. This study identifies seven factors that may lead to high and low WTS information with AI robots through a literature review and implementing interviews. We then build a decision tree predictive model to identify important motivational factors of WTS with AI fashion robots. Our findings indicate that the service quality, enjoyment, usefulness, and trust predict the WTS information with AI robots. Thus, ensuring that consumers understand the benefits AI robot use, including easier and more enjoyable shopping experiences, will increase their interactions with robots.

Keywords: AI, Apparel, Decision tree, robot, human-robot interaction, service robot

How to Cite:

Song, C. & Kim, Y., (2020) “Should We Be Afraid of Artificial Intelligence? Consumer Willingness to Share Personal Information with Fashion Sales Robots”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12349