AI-washing: The Asymmetric Effects of Its Two Types on Consumer Moral Judgments
Fuente:
arXiv
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| Autori principali: | , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
| Pubblicazione: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866913929536471040 |
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| author | Nyilasy, Greg Gangadharbatla, Harsha |
| author_facet | Nyilasy, Greg Gangadharbatla, Harsha |
| contents | As AI hype continues to grow, organizations face pressure to broadcast or downplay purported AI initiatives - even when contrary to truth. This paper introduces AI-washing as overstating (deceptive boasting) or understating (deceptive denial) a company's real AI usage. A 2x2 experiment (N = 401) examines how these false claims affect consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. Results reveal a pronounced asymmetry: deceptive denial evokes more negative moral judgments than honest negation, while deceptive boasting has no effects. We show that perceived betrayal mediates these outcomes. By clarifying how AI-washing erodes trust, the study highlights clear ethical implications for policymakers, marketers, and researchers striving for transparency. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_04352 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | AI-washing: The Asymmetric Effects of Its Two Types on Consumer Moral Judgments Nyilasy, Greg Gangadharbatla, Harsha Computers and Society Artificial Intelligence Human-Computer Interaction As AI hype continues to grow, organizations face pressure to broadcast or downplay purported AI initiatives - even when contrary to truth. This paper introduces AI-washing as overstating (deceptive boasting) or understating (deceptive denial) a company's real AI usage. A 2x2 experiment (N = 401) examines how these false claims affect consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. Results reveal a pronounced asymmetry: deceptive denial evokes more negative moral judgments than honest negation, while deceptive boasting has no effects. We show that perceived betrayal mediates these outcomes. By clarifying how AI-washing erodes trust, the study highlights clear ethical implications for policymakers, marketers, and researchers striving for transparency. |
| title | AI-washing: The Asymmetric Effects of Its Two Types on Consumer Moral Judgments |
| topic | Computers and Society Artificial Intelligence Human-Computer Interaction |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.04352 |