AI is increasingly central to consumer-brand interactions across digital and physical channels, raising questions about how consumers form and maintain trust, evaluate brand authenticity, and retain agency in automated decision environments. This special issue seeks to understand the psychological mechanisms underlying consumer responses to AI-mediated marketing, particularly how trust develops across diverse touchpoints and human involvement levels.
Authenticity and consumer agency emerge as critical concerns when AI shapes brand communications and customer choices. As generative AI and personalization tools become more prevalent, consumers must evaluate whether experiences feel genuine and aligned with brand values, while simultaneously navigating questions of autonomy and control in algorithmically curated environments. The issue welcomes diverse methodological approaches to advance theory, measurement, and practical understanding of these interconnected phenomena.