Would You Use AI to “Resurrect” Your Loved Ones? A Study on the Mechanisms Behind the Willingness to Use AI Resurrection Services

AI resurrection services represent a sensitive frontier in human-AI interaction. Current literature lacks a systematic understanding of the factors driving user acceptance. This study, based on grounded theory, constructs a model of the formation mechanism of willingness to use AI resurrection services through personal in-depth interviews and secondary online data. The research shows that consumers’ willingness to use is jointly influenced by consumer characteristics (values and personality traits), reasons for opposition (low expectations and perceived risks), and reasons for support (emotional and non-emotional needs). Specifically, values indirectly influence the willingness to use by affecting both the reasons for opposition and support; personality traits moderate the effect of opposition and support on willingness to use. The research provides a theoretical framework for HCI to understand user behavior in contentious AI applications and informs ethical design and regulation.