Assessing the influence of AI adoption and trust on customer satisfaction in digital banking services

Purpose This study aims to explore how AI adoption and trust shape customer satisfaction in digital banking, emphasizing the mediating roles of behavioral intention and AI adoption. It seeks to understand how service quality and technology perceptions influence customer experiences in a digital environment. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was adopted using data from 385 digital banking users. The measurement and structural models were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4, with 5,000 bootstrap resamples to test significance. Findings Findings reveal that perceived usefulness, behavioral intention and AI adoption strongly enhance customer satisfaction. Behavioral intention mediates ease of use, usefulness and trust, while AI adoption links reliability, responsiveness and usefulness, emphasizing that trust and AI engagement together elevate digital satisfaction. Originality/value By integrating SERVQUAL and technology acceptance model, this study advances understanding of AI-driven service experiences, offering practical guidance for customer-centric digital banking strategies.