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“Just Do It?” Not So Fast: Why Trust in AI Needs an Interdisciplinary Theoretical Reboot

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  • Courtney Kidd

Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes embedded in complex consumer‐facing services, traditional adoption models such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) are increasingly insufficient for capturing the recursive, sociotechnical, emotional, and ethical dynamics of AI–consumer interactions by overlooking a recursive relationship between user and system. These models treat trust as a static antecedent to adoption and overlook the co‐constitutive relationship between users and intelligent systems. This conceptual paper advances consumer affairs by introducing the Socio‐Technical Adoption and Participation Framework (STAPF), integrating insights from Science and Technology Studies with consumer‐based theories. This framework is theoretically novel, specifying (1) trust as a multidimensional construct, competence, ethical, and relational, and (2) feedback‐driven co‐production as the central mechanism linking user participation and evolving trust outcomes. The model extends beyond technology adoption to address consumer well‐being, marketplace fairness, and regulatory governance in AI‐mediated environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Courtney Kidd, 2026. "“Just Do It?” Not So Fast: Why Trust in AI Needs an Interdisciplinary Theoretical Reboot," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(2), June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jconsa:v:60:y:2026:i:2:n:e70060
    DOI: 10.1111/joca.70060
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