Bezençon, Valéry

2023-09-19, Uysal, Ertugrul Behlül, Bezençon, Valéry

Cette thèse explore les dynamiques évolutives des relations humains-technologie à travers trois articles distincts, mettant l'accent sur les implications des technologies intelligentes et des médias sociaux. Le premier article évalue de manière critique l'anthropomorphisme dans l'IA, en explorant sa conceptualisation théorique et son application dans des domaines tels que l'informatique, la robotique, la psychologie et le marketing. Malgré l'utilisation généralisée de caractéristiques humanisées dans les technologies, une compréhension globale de l'anthropomorphisme dans l'IA fait défaut. Pour pallier cela, cet article propose un cadre conceptuel et recommande les meilleures pratiques pour les recherches futures, en particulier dans le domaine du marketing et du comportement du consommateur. Le deuxième article adopte une perspective relationnelle pour analyser les impacts des assistants IA anthropomorphiques, tels qu'Alexa, sur les consommateurs. Les résultats des enquêtes et des expérimentations de terrain révèlent que si l'anthropomorphisme de l'IA peut enrichir l'expérience utilisateur, il peut également susciter des menaces à l'identité humaine, renforcer les préoccupations liées à la confidentialité des données et diminuer le bien-être. Cependant, la recherche dévoile également trois interventions pratiques pour atténuer ces effets indésirables. Le troisième article contemple les changements sociétaux induits par les réseaux sociaux. Il souligne que ces plateformes amplifient les valeurs individuelles de l’accomplissement et de la conformité. Cette affirmation est soutenue par une analyse de données secondaires, d'enquêtes consommateurs approfondies et d'expériences. De manière générale, cette thèse vise à éclairer les complexités des relations consommateur-technologie et leurs implications.
ABSTRACT:
This dissertation explores the evolving dynamics of human-technology relationships, emphasizing the implications of intelligent technologies and social media. The dissertation encompasses three distinct articles. The first article critically evaluates anthropomorphism in AI, exploring its theoretical conceptualization and application across fields like computer science, robotics, psychology, and marketing. Despite the widespread use of humanlike features in technologies, a comprehensive understanding of anthropomorphism in AI is lacking. As a remedy, this piece offers a conceptual framework and recommends best practices for future exploration, particularly in marketing and consumer behavior. The second article adopts a relationship-centric lens to analyze the impacts of anthropomorphic AI assistants, such as Alexa, on consumers. Findings from surveys and field experiments reveal that while AI anthropomorphism can enrich the user experience, it can also elicit identity threats for the users, intensify data privacy concerns, and diminish overall well-being. However, this research also unveils three practical interventions to mitigate these adverse outcomes. The third article contemplates the profound societal shifts induced by social media. It underscores that platforms like these amplify individual values of achievement and conformity. This assertion is backed by an analysis of a large set of secondary data, a consumer survey, and an experiment. In essence, this dissertation seeks to illuminate the complexities of consumer-technology relationships and their implications.

2023, Purohit, Aditya Kumar, Bergram, Kristoffer, Louis Barclay, Bezençon, Valéry, Holzer, Adrian

2022-4-26, Puntiroli, Michael, Moussaoui, Lisa S., Bezençon, Valéry

It is unclear whether knowledge about a customer’s current sustainable behaviours, such as their choice of lightbulbs or travel mode, allows us to predict the sustainable behaviours they will carry out in the future. We address this in a large longitudinal study (N = 2177) where participants provided self-reports on electricity-, heating- and mobility related consumption at two separate times, three years apart. The results highlighted a high level of temporal consistency, whereby carrying out one sustainable behaviour predicted consumers would be carrying out the same behaviour three years later. However, sustainable behaviours generally did not drive other different sustainable behaviours years later (i.e. no spillover). In fact, isolated instances of spillover emerged only between different kinds of mobility-related consumption among consumers with high environmental values. Overall, the findings indicate a high degree of consistency in sustainable behaviour even years apart, and limited spillover from one sustainable behaviour to another.

2022-1-27, Bezençon, Valéry

2023-08-04, Uysal, Ertugrul Behlül, Sascha Alavi, Bezençon, Valéry

2022-6-9, Puntiroli, Michael, Alavi, Sascha, Bezençon, Valéry, Kocher, Bruno

Billions of people worldwide experience vulnerability in different ways. States, nonprofit and even private organizations develop offers to support vulnerable individuals. It is however unclear how to best encourage such individuals to engage with these offers that are designed to help them. We conducted a field experiment study, in the form of a direct marketing campaign. A total of 9002 randomly selected unemployed people received one of six support messages by SMS, informing them about trainings that could help them find a new job. The support message was either a plain message plus a link to the courses (control), or communicated additional monetary or psychological value. We measured whether participants engaged with the offer. The results showed that all the support messages that communicated additional value generated less engagement compared to the plain control message. Moderation analyses using primary and district-level secondary data associated to vulnerability further highlighted that the level of vulnerability indeed enforces this tendency to mistrust value communicated in messages. The findings suggest that for vulnerable people a more defensive, careful, communication approach is required to foster engagement in well-intentioned offers.

2022-3-22, Uysal, Ertugrul Behlül, Alavi, Sascha, Bezençon, Valéry

Artificial intelligence assistants (AIAs) such as Alexa are prevalent in consumers’ homes. Owing to their powerful artificial intelligence, consumers may perceive that AIAs have a mind of their own, that is, they anthropomorphize them. Past marketing research points to beneficial effects of AIA anthropomorphism for consumers and companies, while potential harmful effects have not been empirically explored. In examining both beneficial and harmful effects, this paper adopts a relationship perspective. Indeed, consumers spend large amounts of time with their AIAs, potentially developing a relationship over time that builds on an exchange of benefits and (psychological) costs. A preliminary survey and user interviews, a field study and a field experiment with AIA users show that AIA anthropomorphism may threaten users’ identity, which disempowers them, creates data privacy concerns and ultimately undermines their well-being. These harmful effects particularly emerge in close, long relationships. The field experiment uncovers three empowering interventions which attenuate harmful effects of AIA anthropomorphism in relationships with consumers. With AI-powered technologies taking larger roles in our daily lives, our research highlights key future directions to investigate the permanent ongoing nature of the consumer–AI relationships.

2023, Bezençon, Valéry, Lanz, Bruno, De Santo, Alessio, Holzer, Adrian

2022-4-28, Bergram, Kristoffer, Djokovic, Marija, Bezençon, Valéry, Holzer, Adrian

2022-2-18, Uysal, Ertugrul Behlül, Alavi, Sascha, Bezençon, Valéry

Artificial intelligence assistants (AIAs) such as Alexa are prevalent in consumers’ home. Due to their powerful artificial intelligence, consumers may perceive that AIAs have a mind of their own, that is, they are anthropomorphizing them. Past marketing research points to beneficial effects of AIA anthropomorphism for consumers and companies, while potential harmful effects are less explored. To examine both beneficial and costly effects, the paper adopts a relationship perspective. Indeed, consumers spend large amounts of time with their AIA, potentially developing a relationship over time that builds on an exchange of benefits and (psychological) costs. A field study and a field experiment with AIA users show that AIA anthropomorphism may threaten users’ identity, which disempowers them, creates data privacy concerns and ultimately undermines their well-being. These harmful effects particularly emerge in close, long relationships. The field experiment uncovers three empowering interventions, which attenuate harmful effects of AIA anthropomorphism in relationships with consumers.