Do Consumers Accept AIs as Moral Compliance Agents?
Fuente:
arXiv
Enregistré dans:
| Auteurs principaux: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2026
|
| Sujets: | |
| Accès en ligne: | |
| Tags: |
Ajouter un tag
Pas de tags, Soyez le premier à ajouter un tag!
|
| _version_ | 1866912980070825984 |
|---|---|
| author | Nyilasy, Greg Hito, Abraham Ryan Ade Putra Overbeck, Jennifer Bastian, Brock Dahl, Darren W. |
| author_facet | Nyilasy, Greg Hito, Abraham Ryan Ade Putra Overbeck, Jennifer Bastian, Brock Dahl, Darren W. |
| contents | Consumers are generally resistant to Artificial Intelligence (AI) involvement in moral decision-making, perceiving moral agency as requiring uniquely human traits. This research investigates whether consumers might instead accept AIs in the role of moral compliance, where AI upholds pre-existing moral norms without exercising subjective discretion. Across five studies this research shows that consumers evaluate AI more positively than human agents in moral compliance roles. The findings reveal that this preference arises from inferences of AI's lack of ulterior motives, which are often attributed to human agents. While previous studies have focused on AI as a decision-maker, this work demonstrates the critical role of upholding pre-existing rules, a role in which AI is perceived to excel. These findings contribute to understanding consumer acceptance of moral AI and provide actionable insights for organizations seeking to leverage AI in ethical oversight. By positioning AI as a moral compliance agent, companies can address consumer skepticism, enhance trust, and improve perceptions of corporate ethicality. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_22617 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Do Consumers Accept AIs as Moral Compliance Agents? Nyilasy, Greg Hito, Abraham Ryan Ade Putra Overbeck, Jennifer Bastian, Brock Dahl, Darren W. Human-Computer Interaction Artificial Intelligence Consumers are generally resistant to Artificial Intelligence (AI) involvement in moral decision-making, perceiving moral agency as requiring uniquely human traits. This research investigates whether consumers might instead accept AIs in the role of moral compliance, where AI upholds pre-existing moral norms without exercising subjective discretion. Across five studies this research shows that consumers evaluate AI more positively than human agents in moral compliance roles. The findings reveal that this preference arises from inferences of AI's lack of ulterior motives, which are often attributed to human agents. While previous studies have focused on AI as a decision-maker, this work demonstrates the critical role of upholding pre-existing rules, a role in which AI is perceived to excel. These findings contribute to understanding consumer acceptance of moral AI and provide actionable insights for organizations seeking to leverage AI in ethical oversight. By positioning AI as a moral compliance agent, companies can address consumer skepticism, enhance trust, and improve perceptions of corporate ethicality. |
| title | Do Consumers Accept AIs as Moral Compliance Agents? |
| topic | Human-Computer Interaction Artificial Intelligence |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.22617 |