← Back to Research Radar
Academic Publication Academic Publication

Lower Artificial Intelligence Literacy Predicts Greater AI Receptivity

76
Citations
September 1, 2025
Published Date

Research Abstract & Technology Focus

As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms society, understanding factors that influence AI receptivity is increasingly important. The current research investigates which types of consumers have greater AI receptivity. Contrary to expectations revealed in four surveys, cross-country data and six additional studies find that people with lower AI literacy are typically more receptive to AI. This lower literacy–greater receptivity link is not explained by differences in perceptions of AI's capability, ethicality, or feared impact on humanity. Instead, this link occurs because people with lower AI literacy are more likely to perceive AI as magical and experience feelings of awe in the face of AI's execution of tasks that seem to require uniquely human attributes. In line with this theorizing, the lower literacy–higher receptivity link is mediated by perceptions of AI as magical and is moderated among tasks not assumed to require distinctly human attributes. These findings suggest that companies may benefit from shifting their marketing efforts and product development toward consumers with lower AI literacy. In addition, efforts to demystify AI may inadvertently reduce its appeal.
lower artificial intelligence literacy predicts greater
Read Full Literature

Correlated Market Trend: Artificial Intelligence

Bridging academia to market: The 60-day public search velocity mapping directly to the core technology of this paper. Dashed line represents 7-day moving average.

Commercial Realization

Startups and Open Source tools heavily associated with the concepts explored in this paper.

Associated Media Narrative