How government AI employees shape public participation perception: Evidence from “Shen Xiao-i” in Shenzhen

This study explores how government AI employees shape public participation perception and clarifies the psychological mechanisms behind this influence. Based on survey data from 470 users of Shenzhen's “Shen Xiao-i,” this study integrates technological, emotional, and cultural perspectives to explain how individuals form participation judgments. Emotional appraisal plays a central role, as higher emotional appraisal significantly enhances public participation perception. Service information perception reflects the cognitive process, since clear, responsive, and transparent information strengthens public participation perception, especially in high-collectivism contexts where information also conveys a sense of social inclusion. Service system perception influences individual agency, as perceived system friction reduces public participation perception among people with low collectivism. Service quality perception further supports these relationships by shaping users' overall evaluation of service experiences. The findings show that emotional appraisal enhances the positive influence of service information perception on public participation perception. Collectivism influences these pathways, while education and occupation tend to increase the perception of public participation. In contrast, age generally leads to a decrease in this perception. Overall, this study provides an interdisciplinary understanding of AI-enabled governance by identifying emotional appraisal as the key psychological factor, defining service information perception as a culturally influenced cognitive resource, and demonstrating that service system perception can weaken agency, particularly in individualistic contexts.