peer reviewed · Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research (2025) · Dec 3, 2025
The Persuasive Power of AI Avatars Through Trust Transfer and the Elaboration Likelihood Model
Ching-Jui Keng, Hsiao-Po Bao, Chia-Hung Lin
In plain English
A survey of 378 respondents, analysed with structural equation modelling, found that trust in an AI avatar and trust in the product it recommends are two separate things that both drive purchase intention. Brand awareness and perceived quality fed product trust; anthropomorphism, interaction quality and social endorsement fed trust in the avatar itself. For anyone deploying a sales or service avatar, the practical reading is that making the avatar more human-like buys trust in the avatar, not in what it is selling — those have to be earned separately.
trust
commerce
persona design
avatar design
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