Does Conversational Artificial Intelligence Affect Parasocial Displacement? A Study on Consumer Brand Affinity in Digital Market Ecosystems

Abstract

With the widespread adoption of conversational artificial intelligence (Conv-AI), consumers have recently reshaped how they search, evaluate, and build relationships with brands. Accessibility and bidirectional communication have created a dynamic interface for the digital ecosystem. Yet despite a growing body of research, the field remains focused on productivity gains and the convenience of AI in digital commerce. But there is very little about how this Conv-AI intermediation affects the emotional aspect of consumer–brand love. This study draws on parasocial relationship theory and relationship marketing to advance the construct of parasocial displacement: the proposition that conversational AI agents do more than help consumers reach brands. They compete with brands for the consumer’s limited emotional attention. The authors test the proposition in three preregistered experiments (n = 791) set in realistic digital commerce scenarios. Study 1 (n = 212) shows that AI-mediated brand interactions reduce brand love compared with direct brand exposure, with the effect amplified when the AI agent presents a richer package of anthropomorphic social cues. Study 2 (n = 322) also finds that the effect passes through AI-induced parasocial attachment by careful attention and distraction. Study 3 (n = 257) demonstrates the moderation displacement of brand heritage, in which brands are largely protected, whereas emerging brands become vulnerable. This study extends parasocial theory from media personalities to algorithmic agents and proposes a triadic consumer–AI–brand framework. This triadic framework replaces the traditional dyadic models in AI-mediated branding activities. In practice, this framework identifies heritage brand equity as a relational buffer within the digital market ecosystem and proposes digital governance, disclosure for AI use, and agentic brand strategy.