peer reviewed · Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research (2026) · Apr 30, 2026
Real vs. Virtual: How the Uncanny Valley Weakens the Persuasive Power of Celebrity AI Avatar Presenters—An Experimental Study Based on Live Streaming E-Commerce
Li Xiong, Dan Wei, Xiaoliang Long
In plain English
Swapping a real celebrity streamer for an AI avatar of that celebrity made viewers find the presenter eerier, and that eeriness ran straight through to lower trust, lower perceived expertise and less intent to buy. Across 391 Chinese live-shopping viewers, eeriness was the mechanism — not a side effect — with the strongest damage landing on trustworthiness. If you are licensing a famous face to front an avatar, the endorsement value does not transfer intact: the thing you paid for erodes precisely because the audience knows it is synthetic.
Abstract
The study examines how celebrity effectiveness changes when shifting from live human appearances to AI avatars in e-commerce streaming. Using PLS-SEM analysis on 391 questionnaires collected October-November 2025, the researchers found that AI avatars trigger significantly higher perceived eeriness compared to real celebrities. This eeriness systematically weakens audience evaluations of credibility, attractiveness and expertise, ultimately reducing purchase intention. Trustworthiness suffers most directly, while expertise remains the primary driver of purchase decisions.
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