Nostalgia Without Lived Experience : Consumer Perceptions of AI vs Human-Generated Nostalgic Video Advertisements

Sammanfattning

This study explores how consumer perception is influenced by AI-generated vs human-generated video content. This research depicts how previously held opinions and the perceived lack of lived experiences influence how participants engage with and interpret the content. To address this, a qualitative methodology was employed, where participants viewed two different ads of the same brand, one AI-generated and one human-generated, followed by semi-structured interviews to understand their perceptions. Our findings support Mind Perception Theory, confirming that participants view AI as possessing agency, whereas humans are credited with both agency and experience. This belief created a significant perception gap. Furthermore, while half of the participants found the AI video to be more nostalgic, this emotional response conflicted with their previously held opinions, which led to participants shifting their initial positive response to the AI video to a more negative perception to align with their cognitions. To explain this inner conflict, the study introduced Cognitive Dissonance Theory. The results show that even when AI successfully evoked nostalgia, participants struggled to credit it with the ability to create human-like emotions. To resolve this cognitive discrepancy, participants utilized selective information processing and adjusted their attitudes to align with their previously held opinions.