Application or Functionality? The Type of Information Matters: The Impact of Information about Artificial Intelligence on AI Usage Intention and AI Aversion

Even though AI applications are becoming more and more ubiquitous in everyday life, there is stilllittle understanding of how AI functions on a technical level as well as a lack of understandingabout the areas in which AI is used among the general public. Aim of our study is to investigatewhether information about functionality of AI and on applications areas of AI is influencing AIusage intentions over a wide variety of topics (e.g., art, healthcare, transport). Additionally, we alsowant to investigate whether AI aversion can be reduced by providing participants with information(functionality and application) on AI. To this end, we collected N = 513 participants (representativefor age and gender, Germany). Results showed that participants who received information aboutapplication areas of AI reported higher usage intention of AI applications than those who receivedinformation about functionality of AI. Regarding AI aversion, a similar pattern emerged:information about AI application areas reduced AI aversion. When conducting linear models thatcontrolled for age, gender, education, and AI knowledge, AI aversion was significantly reduced byboth types of information. Finally, when running a mediation analysis results revealed that thedirect relationship between information and usage intention is fully mediated by AI aversion.