Paper Type
Short
Paper Number
PACIS2026-1659
Description
This study examines how disclosing a food package designer as AI versus human shapes consumers’ pre-consumption inferences about product healthiness and tastiness. Drawing on the meaning transfer perspective and research on AI–human source cues, we propose that designer identity operates as a symbolic source cue: AI disclosure transfers meanings of precision, optimization, and functional problem solving to the food product, making it seem more functional than hedonic. Across two experiments, with package appearance held constant, AI (vs. human) designer disclosure increased perceived healthiness but decreased perceived tastiness. Study 2 further showed that these opposing effects were mediated by perceived relative functional versus hedonic orientation. These findings extend AI design and packaging research by showing that designer identity can shape food product perceptions beyond visual package features.
Recommended Citation
Zhou, Yimei; Liu, Sizhe; and Gu, Yu, "Crafted by Code or by Care? How AI Food Package Designers Shape Healthiness and Tastiness Perceptions" (2026). PACIS 2026 Proceedings. 8.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2026/isdesign_tam/isdesign_tam/8
Crafted by Code or by Care? How AI Food Package Designers Shape Healthiness and Tastiness Perceptions
This study examines how disclosing a food package designer as AI versus human shapes consumers’ pre-consumption inferences about product healthiness and tastiness. Drawing on the meaning transfer perspective and research on AI–human source cues, we propose that designer identity operates as a symbolic source cue: AI disclosure transfers meanings of precision, optimization, and functional problem solving to the food product, making it seem more functional than hedonic. Across two experiments, with package appearance held constant, AI (vs. human) designer disclosure increased perceived healthiness but decreased perceived tastiness. Study 2 further showed that these opposing effects were mediated by perceived relative functional versus hedonic orientation. These findings extend AI design and packaging research by showing that designer identity can shape food product perceptions beyond visual package features.
Comments
13-Design