Impact of Hyper-realistic Human Likeness on Purchase Intention

Livestream commerce is reshaping e-commerce, fostering real-time interactions that drive immediate purchases. As AI technology advances, digital human streamers emerge to address the growing demand human streamers in China. The hyper-realistic anthropomorphism design often involves significant investments. However, the potential of these anthropomorphic features to yield meaningful consumer responses remains underexplored. This study explores whether hyper-realistic human likeness positively influences purchase intention in AI-driven livestream commerce, drawing on anthropomorphism and uncanny valley theories. This research investigates the mediating effects of perceived eeriness, perceived uneasiness, and the perceived marketing effectiveness on the relationship between hyper-realistic human likeness and purchase intention. By bridging this critical gap, the study aims to enhance understanding of how anthropomorphism impacts customer decision-making in the livestream commerce landscape. The findings are expected to provide companies with customer insights into perceived marketing effectiveness and consumer engagement in AI-enabled livestream e-commerce environments.