On the role of personality in attitudes toward AI: Do AI’s freedom of choice and social proof matter?

Abstract Personal factors have been examined in recent literature for their impact on attitudes toward AI, often treating AI as a single, uniform concept and using samples from one cultural group. To address this, we differentiate between two modalities of AI operation: freedom of choice, referring to users’ ability or inability to choose alternatives to AI, and social proof, reflecting whether AI has been widely used and accepted by others. We also include samples from two distinct populations, Arab and UK. This study investigates the influence of the Big Five personality traits, Need for Cognition (NFC), and Locus of Control (LOC) on attitudes toward AI across four combinations of these modalities. A total of 639 participants (316 UK, 323 Arab) completed a survey containing scenarios, validated scales and bespoke, face-validated questions. Using hierarchical multivariate multiple regression (MMR), we analyzed how these personal factors predict two key dimensions of AI attitudes: acceptance (perceived personal and social benefits) and fear (ethical concerns and risks). Agreeableness consistently predicted more favorable attitudes across both cultures, while neuroticism was linked to greater fear. Internal LOC and higher NFC were associated with greater acceptance, highlighting the role of perceived control and cognitive engagement. Cultural differences emerged, with conscientiousness being more influential in the Arab sample and openness in the UK. Overall, personality traits had a weaker impact than expected, aligning with previous research treating AI as a single concept. The modality of operation showed limited effect. This study adds to AI acceptance literature by emphasizing psychological and cultural variability in public attitudes.