Brands cannot own a human celebrity but can own an AI endorser: AI endorsers’ role in shaping consumer self-brand connection

Existing research has primarily focused on artificial intelligence (AI) endorsers' attributes such as attractiveness, expertise, and credibility and compared them to human endorsers. However, the current understanding of the AI endorser type is limited. This research investigates how brand-created and public AI endorsers influence consumers’ self-brand connection and brand attitude. Five studies demonstrate that brand-created AI endorsers generate a stronger self-brand connection compared to public AI endorsers through the chain-mediating role of perceived endorser-brand match and parasocial interaction. Consistent with this mechanism, the premium associated with brand-created AI endorsers diminishes when consumers have a high need to belong or the brand assumes a friend-like role due to the reduced disparity in parasocial interaction. Furthermore, we investigate the downstream consequences of brand attitude. These findings enrich the theoretical understanding of AI endorsers and offer practical guidance for marketers in effectively selecting AI endorsers.