Anthropomorphic AI and tourists’ cultural experiences in smart tourism

Purpose This study aims to examine how tourists’ perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) psychological anthropomorphism in AI-enabled tourism services are associated with perceived cultural belonging (PCB) in smart tourism. Cultural belonging is conceptualized as situational cultural closeness rather than a stable identity outcome. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method design combining structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was employed. SEM examined net associations and indirect pathways among AI psychological anthropomorphism, AI interaction engagement (AIE), AI service quality (ASQ), tourism destination satisfaction (TDS) and PCB. fsQCA identified alternative configurational pathways associated with high PCB. Data were collected from tourists who had used AI-assisted tourism services in smart tourism destinations. Findings Anthropomorphic perception is positively associated with AIE, which is in turn positively associated with ASQ. ASQ is positively associated with TDS and PCB, while TDS shows the strongest association with PCB. By contrast, the direct associations from interaction engagement to TDS and from anthropomorphic perception to TDS are not significant. fsQCA identifies three alternative pathways associated with high PCB. Originality/value This study extends hospitality and tourism technology research by examining PCB as a situational experiential outcome of anthropomorphic AI in smart tourism. By integrating SEM and fsQCA, it provides a nuanced account of how AI-mediated tourism experiences are linked to tourists’ cultural closeness through both dominant associations and heterogeneous experiential pathways.