AI in the spotlight: The impact of artificial intelligence disclosure on user engagement in short-form videos

This paper aims to investigate how AI disclosure affects user engagement intention. We try to comprehensively explore the fundamental mechanisms behind AI disclosure and user engagement, along with the boundary conditions that impact the relationship. Based on the heuristic-systematic model, this study built a moderated mediation model and conducted an online experiment on “Credamo” platform. The 479 valid experimental data of the study were analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that AI disclosure has a direct, positive impact on user engagement intention, while it could also diminish user engagement intention by lowering users' perceived content quality. However, the negative impact on perceived content quality can be mitigated by improving users’ perceived AI capabilities. This study expands the research focus of AI disclosure and the practical application of heuristic-systematic model, which provides theoretical insights to the artificial intelligence related literature. In addition, we put forward to informed practical recommendations for video content creators and publishers in creating content and promoting user interaction.