The Influence of AI-Curated Electronic Word-of-Mouth and Organic Electronic Word-of-Mouth on Purchase Decisions with the Role of Customer Trust Mediation Among Generation Z TikTok Store Users in Surabaya
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The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping the information consumers receive and their decision-making on social commerce platforms. This study compares the effects of AI-curated electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), in which consumer-generated information is selected and personalized by algorithms, and organic e-WOM, which is voluntarily shared based on consumer experiences, on purchase decisions among Generation Z TikTok Shop users in Surabaya. It also examines customer trust as a mediating variable, using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical foundation. A quantitative survey of 229 respondents was analyzed using PLS-SEM with SmartPLS 4. The results show that AI-curated e-WOM significantly affects customer trust (? = 0.539; p < 0.001) and purchase decisions (? = 0.368; p < 0.001), whereas organic e-WOM significantly affects purchase decisions (? = 0.142; p = 0.009) but not customer trust (? = 0.148; p = 0.060). Customer trust significantly influences purchase decisions (? = 0.462; p < 0.001) and mediates the relationship between AI-curated e-WOM and purchase decisions (? = 0.249; p < 0.001), but not between organic e-WOM and purchase decisions (? = 0.069; p = 0.061). These findings indicate that AI-curated e-WOM builds customer trust while influencing purchases, whereas organic e-WOM directly influences purchase decisions without significantly strengthening trust. The study contributes to digital marketing literature by demonstrating distinct mechanisms through which algorithmically curated and organic e-WOM shape consumer behavior in social commerce.
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SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
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