Brains, Bond, and Belief: What Sustains Gen Z’s Use of AI Assistants

Abstract

With increasing use of personal AI assistants in everyday life, an understanding of the psychological factors that drive their sustained use, especially among the most tech-savvy Generation Z, is necessary. The present research investigates the functions of perceived AI intelligence, anthropomorphism, and trust in AI in shaping the sustained adoption of personal AI assistants by Gen Z users. On the basis of data obtained through surveys from 170 Indian Gen Z, 131 usable responses were retained for the analysis. The research is grounded in the Stimulus Organism Response (SOR) model. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that anthropomorphism and perceived intelligence significantly enhance trust in AI, which in turn significantly predicts the intention to keep using it. While perceived intelligence has direct and indirect effects on usage, trust fully mediates the effect of anthropomorphism. This work adds to the AI adoption body of knowledge by highlighting trust as an important psychological process linking user perceptions to long-term behavior. It also provides developers with helpful guidance on designing AI systems that are emotionally and cognitively engaging, particularly in quickly growing digital economies.

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