Understanding the Relationship Between Firms' AI Technology Innovation and Consumer Complaints

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ma, Yongchao Martin, Deng, Zhongzhun
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Ma, Yongchao Martin
Deng, Zhongzhun
author_facet Ma, Yongchao Martin
Deng, Zhongzhun
contents In the artificial intelligence (AI) age, firms increasingly invest in AI technology innovation to secure competitive advantages. However, the relationship between firms' AI technology innovation and consumer complaints remains insufficiently explored. Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), this paper investigates how firms' AI technology innovation influences consumer complaints. Employing a multimethod approach, Study 1 analyzes panel data from S&P 500 firms (N = 2,758 firm-year observations), Study 2 examines user-generated Reddit data (N = 2,033,814 submissions and comments), and Study 3 involves two controlled experiments (N = 410 and N = 500). The results reveal that firms' AI technology innovation significantly increases consumers' threat-related emotions, heightening their complaints. Furthermore, compared to AI process innovation, AI product innovation leads to higher consumer complaints. This paper advances the understanding of consumers' psychological responses to firms' AI innovation and provides practical implications for managing consumer complaints effectively.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_18025
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Understanding the Relationship Between Firms' AI Technology Innovation and Consumer Complaints
Ma, Yongchao Martin
Deng, Zhongzhun
Computers and Society
Artificial Intelligence
Applications
In the artificial intelligence (AI) age, firms increasingly invest in AI technology innovation to secure competitive advantages. However, the relationship between firms' AI technology innovation and consumer complaints remains insufficiently explored. Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), this paper investigates how firms' AI technology innovation influences consumer complaints. Employing a multimethod approach, Study 1 analyzes panel data from S&P 500 firms (N = 2,758 firm-year observations), Study 2 examines user-generated Reddit data (N = 2,033,814 submissions and comments), and Study 3 involves two controlled experiments (N = 410 and N = 500). The results reveal that firms' AI technology innovation significantly increases consumers' threat-related emotions, heightening their complaints. Furthermore, compared to AI process innovation, AI product innovation leads to higher consumer complaints. This paper advances the understanding of consumers' psychological responses to firms' AI innovation and provides practical implications for managing consumer complaints effectively.
title Understanding the Relationship Between Firms' AI Technology Innovation and Consumer Complaints
topic Computers and Society
Artificial Intelligence
Applications
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.18025