Ethical Consumer Attitudes and Trust in Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Marketplace: An Empirical Analysis of Behavioral and Value-Driven Determinants

The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing has reshaped how consum-ers interact with digital content and evaluate ethical aspects of firms. This study examines how familiarity with and trust in AI influence consumers’ acceptance of AI-based adver-tising and their ethical purchasing behavior. Data were collected from 505 Greek consum-ers through an online survey and analyzed using hierarchical and logistic regression models. Reliability and validity tests confirmed the robustness of the measurement in-struments. The results show that familiarity with AI technologies significantly enhances trust and ethical confidence toward AI systems. In turn, trust in AI strongly predicts con-sumers’ acceptance of AI-driven advertising, while acceptance positively affects ethical consumption intentions. The findings also confirm a mediating relationship, indicating that acceptance of AI-based advertising transmits the effect of AI trust to ethical consump-tion. Overall, the study integrates ethical and technological dimensions into a unified be-havioral model, highlighting the central role of moral trust in shaping consumer behavior in the digital era. The conclusions emphasize that transparent and responsible use of AI in marketing can strengthen brand credibility, foster ethical engagement, and contribute to more sustainable consumption practices.