How Loneliness, Trust, and Age Shape Evaluations of Human Versus AI‐Based Advisory Services
Kevin P. Newman, Ainslie E. Schultz · Psychology and Marketing · 2026
ABSTRACT Loneliness is becoming increasingly pervasive, a trend that also happens to coincide with the rapid growth in artificial intelligence (AI) systems that provide personalized recommendations for consumers. Across three experimental studies, we examine how loneliness impacts evaluations of advisory services using human or AI‐based guidance. In Study 1, lonely individuals report a greater willingness to pay (WTP) for a service that provides human‐based advice. Study 2 provides process evidence by showing that lonely individuals report greater trust in and subsequently greater WTP for a service that provides human versus AI‐based advice. Study 3 expands these findings to a broader sample and identifies age as a moderator. While lonely younger individuals positively evaluate a service that provides human‐based advice, lonely older adults favor a service that provides AI‐based advice, suggesting a reversal in consumer evaluations. Overall, these findings suggest that marketers and service designers should consider both age and loneliness when implementing AI technologies in customer‐facing experiences.