The interplay between AI’s autonomy level and anthropomorphic relationship on consumers’ evaluations of AI products: the mediating role of self-AI integration

Purpose As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves from passive tools to autonomous agents, a critical marketing dilemma arises: should intelligent products be positioned as submissive servants or equal partners? This study investigates the interplay between AI autonomy and anthropomorphic relationships, exploring how their alignment shapes consumer evaluations of AI products. Design/methodology/approach The proposed framework was tested across three experimental studies involving 960 participants. Data were evaluated using mediating and moderating analyses to uncover the underlying psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions governing consumer-AI interactions. Findings The results reveal a significant interaction effect between AI autonomy levels and anthropomorphic relationships. Notably, consumers evaluate high-autonomy AI more favorably when it is framed as a servant, whereas low-autonomy AI is preferred when framed as a partner. This effect is driven by self-AI integration, which serves as a crucial mediating mechanism. Furthermore, the interplay between autonomy and anthropomorphic relationship framing is moderated by the consumer’s self-construal. Originality/value This research advances the interactive marketing literature by moving beyond basic anthropomorphism toward a symbiotic consumer-AI perspective. It demonstrates that an AI product’s value relies heavily on a “autonomy- anthropomorphic relationship fit” that encourages consumers to psychologically embrace the technology as an extension of themselves. These findings provide actionable guidelines for marketers seeking to assign social roles that strategically match an AI’s technical capabilities.