Do People Resist Empathizing with AI? Effects of Empathic Characteristics in AI-Based Emotional Service

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems increasingly participate in social interactions, questions remain about how users perceive empathic AI across different services. This study investigates user attitudes toward empathic AI in emotional versus function-oriented services and examines the mechanisms that shape empathy, trust, and acceptance of AI emotional services. Study 1 compared user evaluations across three service scenarios in an exploratory investigation. Results show users consistently rate AI more positively in function-oriented services, while empathy in emotional services are often regarded as insincere. Study 2 validated a structural model using data from 312 users of AI emotional services. Perceived warmth, intimacy, and emotional labor effort significantly strengthen empathy toward AI, raising trust and acceptance. Emotional disclosure resistance partially moderates these pathways, reducing users’ receptivity to AI emotional support. The findings reveal the dual nature of AI empathy in emotional services, offering practical guidance for designing human-centered AI of credible emotional engagement.