Users’ trust in technology decreases as it becomes more “human”, finds research from NEOMA Business School, UNIMORE, and LUISS.
Ilaria Querci, Assistant Professor of Marketing at NEOMA and one of the study’s authors, says there are four social roles projected onto “connected objects” – devices that can share information – that fuel consumers’ distrust.
The kidnapper. People believe connected objects restrict their freedom and autonomy, and make them feel more isolated.
The dominator. People fear technology’s potential to replace humans. Constant exposure to, and reliance on, technology in daily life can feel oppressive.
The harasser. People feel unease at devices’ abilities to store and share information. In private and professional life, people are concerned technology is being used to spy on them.
The seducer. People fear that because technology is often practical and fun to use, it may become addictive, and overuse could be harmful to a person’s physical health and social life.
These four perceptions of connected objects create widespread distrust based on the beliefs that more “human-like” technology is becoming too invasive. “Some consumers feel these objects as an intrusion into their privacy,” says Querci.
Prior estimates predicted there would be 50 billion such devices in circulation globally by 2020. However, the authors of this study counted only 14 billion in 2022. They suggest consumer resistance may be making the widespread adoption of new technologies a more laborious process.
“It is essential to create products that inspire trust and security. Consumers need to feel that they retain control over technology,” says Paolo Peverini, Associate Professor at LUISS and another co-author of the research.
The study was published in The International Journal of Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Management.
