Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Advertising: Understanding and Schematizing the Behaviors of Social Media Users

Nowadays, information technology is not only widely used in all walks of life but also fully applied in the marketing and advertisement sector. In particular, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has received growing attention worldwide because of its impact on advertising. However, it remains unclear how social media users react to AI advertisements. The purpose of this study is to examine the behavior of social media users towards AI-based advertisements. This study used a qualitative method, including a semi-structured interview. A total of 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with social media users aged 18 and over, using a purposive sampling method. The interviews lasted between 27.05–50.39 minutes on average (Mean: 37.48 SD: 6.25) between August and October 2021. We categorized the findings of the current qualitative research into three main process themes: I) reception; II) diving; and III) break-point. While 'reception' covers positive and negative sub-themes, 'diving' includes three themes: comparison, timesaving, and leaping. The final theme, 'break-point', represents the decision-making stage and includes negative or positive opinions. This study provides content producers, social media practitioners, marketing managers, advertising industry, AI researchers, and academics with many insights into AI advertising.