AI-augmented Co-creation via social media posts and consumer identity formation: The interplay of interaction orientation, empowerment, creativity, and willingness

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into consumer co-creation initiatives is transforming how individuals engage with brands and perceive the value of their collaborative experiences. While prior research has highlighted AI's potential to enhance efficiency and novelty, little is known about how human–AI versus human-only collaboration, when communicated through social media co-creation posts, shapes consumer perceptions and how these perceptions evolve into role identities. Drawing on self-determination theory, service-dominant logic, and role identity perspectives, this study uses a 2 × 2 online experiment (N = 411) in which participants viewed social media-based posts from a fictional sneaker brand that highlighted the co-creation agent cue (Human vs. Human + AI) and interaction orientation (Transactional vs. Relational). We examine how the highlighted co-creation agent cue and interaction orientation in these posts shape perceived digital empowerment and creativity, and how these perceptions translate into willingness to co-create and co-creation role identity. Results from multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) reveal that posts highlighting Human + AI collaboration enhance empowerment and creativity relative to Human-only, with relational framing further amplifying this effect. The results further show that perceived creativity is a stronger driver of willingness to co-create than empowerment. That willingness, in turn, serves as a central mechanism linking these perceptions to a co-creator role identity. Collectively, these findings advance understanding of AI-augmented co-creation by uncovering dual psychological mechanisms and identity pathways, and offer insights for firms on how to design engagement strategies that highlight AI-augmented co-creation to generate participation and strengthen consumer–brand relationships.