ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A CATALYST FOR CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF AI- DRIVEN MARKETING TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the e-commerce sector by reshaping how consumers interact with online shopping platforms. Technologies like personalised advertising, recommendation systems, chatbots, and voice assistants create tailored shopping experiences that shape how consumers perceive and make purchases. This study examines how AI technologies affect consumer attitudes and, in turn, influence their buying behaviour in online shopping. This study adopts a quantitative research approach, utilising a descriptive and analytical research design. Primary data were collected from 250 Indian online shoppers through a well-structured questionnaire. A purposive-convenience sampling technique was used to select respondents with prior experience using AI-enabled features on e-commerce platforms. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and SmartPLS. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were used to test the proposed relationships among the variables. The findings show that AI-enabled technologies strongly influence consumer attitudes toward AI in online shopping. Personalised advertising, recommendation systems, chatbots, and voice assistants positively affect consumers by enhancing personalisation, convenience, trust, and shopping efficiency. Additionally, consumer attitude toward AI was found to have a significant positive influence on consumer buying behaviour. The study highlights the importance of transparency, trust, and perceived usefulness in shaping positive consumer perceptions of AI technologies.This research contributes to the expanding literature on AI adoption in e-commerce and offers important insights for marketers and e-commerce firms intending to leverage AI-driven technologies to boost customer experiences strengthen consumer engagement, and impact purchasing behaviour.