How Do Ethical Factors Affect User Trust and Adoption Intentions of AI-Generated Content Tools? Evidence from a Risk-Trust Perspective

With the widespread application of AI-generated content (AIGC) tools in creative domains, users have become increasingly concerned about the ethical issues they raise, which may influence their adoption decisions. To explore how ethical perceptions affect user behavior, this study constructs an ethical perception model based on the trust–risk theoretical framework, focusing on its impact on users’ adoption intention (ADI). Through a systematic literature review and expert interviews, eight core ethical dimensions were identified: Misinformation (MIS), Accountability (ACC), Algorithmic Bias (ALB), Creativity Ethics (CRE), Privacy (PRI), Job Displacement (JOD), Ethical Transparency (ETR), and Control over AI (CON). Based on 582 valid responses, structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to empirically test the proposed paths. The results show that six factors significantly and positively influence perceived risk (PR): JOD (β = 0.216), MIS (β = 0.161), ETR (β = 0.150), ACC (β = 0.137), CON (β = 0.136), and PRI (β = 0.131), while the effects of ALB and CRE were not significant. Regarding trust in AI (TR), six factors significantly negatively influence it: CRE (β = −0.195), PRI (β = −0.145), ETR (β = −0.148), CON (β = −0.133), ALB (β = −0.113), and ACC (β = −0.098), while MIS and JOD were not significant. In addition, PR has a significant negative effect on TR (β = −0.234), which further impacts ADI. Specifically, PR has a significant negative effect on ADI (β = −0.259), while TR has a significant positive effect (β = 0.187). This study not only expands the applicability of the trust–risk framework in the context of AIGC but also proposes an ethical perception model for user adoption research, offering empirical evidence and practical guidance for platform design, governance mechanisms, and trust-building strategies.