When Intangible Cultural Heritage Meets AI—Can AI with Anthropomorphism Elements Attract Tourists to Visit Cultural Heritage Sites?

In the context of digital tourism development, artificial intelligence has become one of the major techniques for tourists’ information acquisition and interaction in the field of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism. However, whether AI with anthropomorphism elements attracts tourists to visit cultural heritage sites and how AI anthropomorphism design affects visitors’ visit intentions remains unclear. Therefore, based on the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) theory, this study proposes an “AI anthropomorphism–AI trust–visit intention” model and investigates the role of AI anthropomorphism in visit intention. In particular, this study tests the effects of perceived intelligence and perceived risk on AI anthropomorphism, as well as the role of AI trust and perceived cultural sustainability on the relationship between AI anthropomorphism and visit intention. With a sample of 478 Chinese respondents who are intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourists, the hypothesized relationships are tested by employing structural equation modeling. The results show that perceived intelligence exerts a positive effect on AI anthropomorphism, while perceived risk exerts a negative effect on AI anthropomorphism. Moreover, AI anthropomorphism exerts an effect on AI trust, which in turn yields a great influence on visit intention. In addition, further analysis shows that AI type intensifies the effect of anthropomorphism on AI trust, and the relationship between AI trust and visit intention is regulated by perceived cultural sustainability. This study reveals how AI anthropomorphism functions in ICH tourism, and the findings provide practical guidance for advancing intelligent services and giving cultural sustainability top priority in order to support the sustainable growth of ICH tourism.