From AI disclosure to purchase intention: The mediating role of trust and the moderating effect of collectivistic orientation in Vietnam

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Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in advertising raises questions about consumer trust and behavioral responses, particularly in emerging collectivistic markets. This study aims to examine whether AI disclosure in advertising affects purchase intention through trust and whether collectivistic orientation moderates the effect of AI disclosure on trust among Gen Z consumers in Vietnam. Using a between-subjects online experiment and survey, data were collected in Da Nang, Vietnam, from May 1 to May 20, 2025, with 400 Gen Z social media users randomly assigned to an AI disclosure condition or a non-disclosure condition. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test direct, mediated, and moderated effects while controlling for ad authenticity. The results indicate that AI disclosure increases trust (β = 0.469, p < 0.001), and trust positively predicts purchase intention (β = 0.279, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of AI disclosure on purchase intention through trust is significant (β = 0.131, p = 0.001), whereas the direct effect on purchase intention is not significant (β = -0.091, p = 0.093). Collectivistic orientation weakens the AI disclosure-trust relationship (β = -0.068, p = 0.018). Ad authenticity remains a strong predictor of purchase intention (β = 0.646, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that transparency can build trust, but its effectiveness depends on cultural orientation, implying that managers should combine AI disclosure with authenticity cues in collectivistic settings.

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    • Figure 1. Research model
    • Figure 2. SEM model
    • Table 1. Measurement instruments
    • Table 2. Construct reliability and convergent validity
    • Table 3. Fornell-Larcker criterion
    • Table 4. HTMT ratios
    • Table 5. R-square
    • Table 6. Structural model results and multi-group analysis
    • Conceptualization
      Huu Pho Nguyen, Xuan Trang Le
    • Data curation
      Huu Pho Nguyen, Xuan Trang Le
    • Formal Analysis
      Huu Pho Nguyen, Phuong Uyen Le
    • Investigation
      Huu Pho Nguyen
    • Methodology
      Huu Pho Nguyen, Xuan Trang Le
    • Project administration
      Huu Pho Nguyen
    • Resources
      Huu Pho Nguyen, Phuong Uyen Le
    • Software
      Huu Pho Nguyen
    • Supervision
      Huu Pho Nguyen, Xuan Trang Le
    • Validation
      Huu Pho Nguyen
    • Visualization
      Huu Pho Nguyen, Phuong Uyen Le
    • Writing – original draft
      Huu Pho Nguyen, Xuan Trang Le
    • Writing – review & editing
      Phuong Uyen Le, Xuan Trang Le