Enhancing Customer Engagement Through Artificial Intelligence Authenticity
Pantea Foroudi, Matthew J. Robson, Reza Marvi, Stavroula Spyropoulou
kHUB post date: January 2026
Originally published: September 28, 2025 (PDMA JPIM • Vol 43, Issue 1 • January 2026)
Read time: 65 minutes
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Given the limited research on the factors and mechanisms underlying artificial intelligence (AI) authenticity, we examine its use in fostering breakthrough knowledge and enhancing customer engagement. We devised a robust model grounded in mind perception and social exchange theories, with a focus on the outcomes of AI authenticity. Tested across 452 virtual health home stations, the findings reveal that both performance expectation and effort expectation serve as mediators between AI authenticity and customer engagement. This research provides managers with comprehensive insights into the defining attributes and operational mechanics of AI authenticity, thereby highlighting its critical importance in boosting customer engagement.
Practitioner Points
- Our study shows that designing authentic AI systems can significantly enhance customer engagement by building trust, raising performance expectations, and encouraging users to invest effort, especially in high-stakes sectors like healthcare.
- For managers, this means going beyond efficiency to focus on relationship-building.
Authentic AI should blend functional traits (accuracy, credibility) with emotional traits (realism, connectedness, social presence, and individuality) to align with evolving customer expectations.
- Managers can achieve this by personalizing interactions based on customer history, enabling AI to recall previous conversations, and adapting tone to emotional cues to create a sense of continuity and care.
- Tailoring which authenticity components to emphasize (e.g., credibility in healthcare, social presence in retail) and ensuring regular audits, updates, and human oversight can improve engagement, build loyalty, and deliver stronger returns on AI investments.