A Study on the Factors Influencing the Acceptance Intention of Autonomous Delivery Robots: An Analysis of the Effects of Trust and Attitude

The objective of this study is to investigate consumers' acceptance intentions toward emerging technologies, such as delivery robots, by integrating trust and attitude variables within the framework of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) model. To achieve this, an online survey was administered to 193 respondents aged 19 and older residing in South Korea. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data, yielding the following key findings. First, trust in AI systems and attitude demonstrated significant direct and indirect effects on usage intention. Second, trust in AI ethics indirectly influenced acceptance intention via the mediating role of attitude. Third, attention to news media indirectly affected acceptance intention through the mediating effects of both AI trust and attitude. In conclusion, this study confirms that trust, attitude, and news media attention play pivotal roles in shaping consumers' acceptance intentions during the introduction and diffusion phases of emerging technologies like delivery robots.