How Autonomy of Artificial Intelligence Technology and User Agency Influence AI Perceptions and Attitudes: Applying the Theory of Psychological Reactance

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is increasingly taking over various aspects of our daily decision-making processes. The current study investigates how media users emotionally and cognitively respond to the increasing autonomy of AI technology. A survey (N = 297) measured the perceived autonomy of AI applications that individuals currently use and examined its relationship with psychological reactance, user agency, and perceived personalization. Findings show that AI autonomy is positively related to threat to freedom and psychological reactance. However, AI autonomy is also positively associated with personalization, which cancels out the negative impact of psychological reactance on attitudes. Those who feel a higher agency perceive a higher threat to freedom as perceived AI autonomy increases. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.