Consumer acceptance of the use of artificial intelligence in online shopping : evidence from Hungary

The rapid development of technology has drastically changed the way consumers do their shopping. The volume of global online commerce has significantly been increasing partly due to the recent COVID-19 crisis that has accelerated the expansion of e-commerce. A growing number of webshops integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI), state-of-the-art technology into their stores to improve customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty. However, little research has been done to verify the process of how consumers adopt and use AI-powered webshops. Using the technology acceptance model (TAM) as a theoretical background, this study addresses the question of trust and consumer acceptance of Artificial Intelligence in online retail. An online survey in Hungary was conducted to build a database of 439 respondents for this study. To analyse data, structural equation modelling (SEM) was used. After the respecification of the initial theoretical model, a nested model, which was also based on TAM, was developed and tested. The widely used TAM was found to be a suitable theoretical model for investigating consumer acceptance of the use of Artificial Intelligence in online shopping. Trust was found to be one of the key factors influencing consumer attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence. Perceived usefulness as the other key factor in attitudes and behavioural intention was found to be more important than the perceived ease of use. These findings offer valuable implications for webshop owners to increase customer acceptance.