Mitigating Identity Threats Posed by Artificial Intelligence: The Role of Perceived AI Relatedness

ABSTRACT Some consumers experience identity threats from artificial intelligence (AI) due to its ability to mimic human traits and behaviors, which can negatively impact their perceptions and acceptance of AI. Drawing on the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) paradigm, exemplar theory, and social identity theory, this research suggests that these identity threats can be reduced when users feel a sense of AI relatedness, a user's feelings of relational connection to AI as a category rather than any single tool. Across three quasi‐experiments among users and non‐users of generative AI, virtual assistants, and customer service chatbots, results show that users perceive greater AI relatedness, which then reduces perceptions of AI identity threat. However, this effect disappears when (1) consumers use a large number of AI tools and (2) AI use feels mandatory rather than voluntary. Notably, even among forced users, simply using AI reduced perceived identity threats in two of the three contexts. Collectively, this suggests that AI use fosters a broader sense of connection with AI, which can help mitigate identity threats and improve consumers' AI perceptions. This work provides both theoretical implications for understanding consumer‐AI relationships and consumers' social identity formation, practical strategies for reducing AI resistance, and societal considerations related to widespread AI use.