Trust as a moderator in the influence of AI technology readiness on AI technology adoption

Abstract

Artificial intelligence adoption is accelerating and transforming industries worldwide through a wide range of applications with the potential to generate significant value. Thus, understanding what effectively drives adoption would give organisations a competitive advantage. The study determines whether trust moderates the relationship from AI technology readiness to AI technology adoption by individuals working for organisations. The frameworks used for the study are the technology readiness index and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. The data comprising 213 usable responses was collected using an online survey. The correlation and moderation were separately tested using the Spearmans Correlation Coefficient and stepwise hierarchical multiple regression. Although there is support from broader context literature for trust’s moderation on the relationship between AI technology readiness and AI technology adoption, the study only found that trust has a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between Readiness Motivators and the use of AI in specialised tasks. The research delivered a model that managers can use to facilitate the effective adoption of AI technology by individuals in their organisations. Finally, a need was identified to do more research, especially on the adoption of AI technology by individuals in an organisation.