Breaking the Single Voice: Perceived AI Plurality as an Autonomy-Supportive Architecture for Ethical Marketplace Decisions
TL;DR
Results show that structuring ethical recommendations through a plural AI architecture enhances consumers’ self–brand connection and strengthens self-brand connection and purchase intentions, suggesting plurality can function as an equity-enhancing design feature.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly structures how consumers encounter, evaluate, and select marketplace options, raising fundamental questions about autonomy, empowerment, and welfare-enhancing choice environments. While prior work has focused on what algorithms recommend, less is known about how recommendation system architecture shapes the experience of choice. Across three experiments, this research examines the societal and psychological implications of perceived algorithmic plurality, defined as consumers’ perception that recommendation authority is distributed across multiple distinct AI agents, each guided by distinct evaluative criteria. Results show that structuring ethical recommendations through a plural AI architecture enhances consumers’ self–brand connection. Study 2 demonstrates that plural recommendations increase perceived autonomy, which strengthens self–brand connection and purchase intentions. Study 3 shows these effects are strongest among low-knowledge consumers, suggesting plurality can function as an equity-enhancing design feature. By shifting attention from algorithmic outputs to the socio-technical structure of AI nudges, this research advances understanding of consumer emancipation in digital marketplaces.