Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication

Marketing communication has rapidly changed due to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). However, there remains limited qualitative research on consumer interpretations and responses to various applications, such as AI-generated voice. This thesis qualitatively examines Finnish consumers’ reac...

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Päätekijä: Ruuska, Matti
Muut tekijät: Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu, Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics, Jyväskylän yliopisto, University of Jyväskylä
Aineistotyyppi: Pro gradu
Kieli:eng
Julkaistu: 2025
Aiheet:
Linkit: https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/101655
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author Ruuska, Matti
author2 Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_facet Ruuska, Matti Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä Ruuska, Matti Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_sort Ruuska, Matti
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description Marketing communication has rapidly changed due to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). However, there remains limited qualitative research on consumer interpretations and responses to various applications, such as AI-generated voice. This thesis qualitatively examines Finnish consumers’ reactions to AI-synthesized voices and their influence on consumer behaviour. The empirical data was collected through 18 semi-structured interviews conducted with Finnish consumers aged between 19 and 72 during February and March 2025. These interviews explored consumer attitudes towards AI-generated voices, their impact on cognitive processes, and resulting outcomes. The aim was to explore how consumers perceive and interpret AI-generated voices in comparison to human voices within advertising contexts. The findings indicate that consumer responses to AI-generated voices are dualistic: recognizable AI-generated voices trigger a shift from rapid processing to analytical, slow processing, often evoking negative emotions among consumers. In contrast, unrecognised AI-generated voices are processed similarly to natural human voices, maintaining a neutral perception towards the advertisement. Additionally, the perceived “cheapness” associated with AI-generated voices can negatively influence brand credibility, though this effect appears momentary rather than enduring. Contextual factors, such as industry type, consumer attitude towards technology, and disclosure of AI usage, significantly affect consumer perceptions. This thesis provides theoretical contributions by offering new insights into the relatively narrowly researched area of AI-generated voices in marketing. The primary finding is the duality in consumer responses, both in recognizing synthesized voices and reacting to them. For marketing managers, the most meaningful implication is a framework enabling assessment of when AI-generated voice supports marketing efforts and when it may be harmful. Markkinointiviestinä on muuttunut nopeasti tekoälyn (AI) vaikutuksesta, mutta silti kuluttajien tulkintoja ja suhtautumista useisiin eri käyttökohteisiin, kuten ääneen, on tutkittu vain vähän. Tässä tutkimuksessa kuvaan kvalitatiivisesti suomalaisten kuluttajien suhtautumista tekoälysyntensoidun äänen vaikutuksiin kulutajakäyttäytymiseen digitaalisessa mainonnassa. Empiirinen aineisto kerättiin 18 puolistrukturoidulla haastattelulla, jotka tehtiin 19-72-vuotiaiden suomalaisten kuluttajien kanssa helmi- ja maaliskuussa 2025. Näissä haastatteluissa tarkasteltiin kuluttajien suhtautumista tekoälyääniin, niiden vaikutusta kognitiivisiin prosesseihin sekä niistä syntyviin lopputuloksiin. Tavoitteena oli tarkastella, miten kuluttajat kokevat ja tulkitsevat tekoälyllä tuotetun äänen verrattuna ihmisääneen mainosympäristöissä. Tulokset osoittavat, että kuluttajat reagoivat tekoälyääniin kaksitahoisesti: tunnistettavat tekoälyn luomat äänet saavat aikaan siirtymän nopeasta prosessoinnista analyyttiseen hitaaseen prosessointiin, mikä aiheuttaa usein negatiivisia tunteita kuluttajissa. Sitä vastoin tunnistamattomia tekoälyn ääniä mainonnassa käsitellään samalla tavalla kuin ihmisen luomia ääniä, mikä säilyttää neutraalin mielikuvan mainonnassa. Tekoälyn tuottamiin ääniin liittyvä ”halpamaisuus” voi vaikuttaa kielteisesti brändin uskottavuuteen, mutta tämä vaikutus vaikuttaa pikemminkin hetkelliseltä kuin pysyvältä. Kontekstitekijät, kuten toimiala, kuluttajan suhtauminen teknologiaan ja tekoälyn käytöstä kertominen, vaikuttavat kuluttajien näkemyksiin. Tämä tutkielma tarjoa teoreettista kontrubuutiota tuomalla uusia näkemyksiä melko kapeasti tutkittuun tekoälyäänen suhteeseen markkinoinnissa. Tärkein havainto on kaksijakoisuus kuluttajien suhtautumisessa niin tunnistaa syntensoitu ääni, kuin myös suhtautua siihen. Merkityksellisin johtopäätös markkinointijohtajille on viitekehys, jonka perusteella he voivat arvioida milloin AI-ääni tukee markkinointia, ja missä tilanteissa se voi olla puolestaan haitallista.
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spellingShingle Ruuska, Matti Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication Master's Degree Programme in Digital Marketing and Corporate Communication
title Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication
title_full Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication
title_fullStr Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication
title_full_unstemmed Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication
title_short Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication
title_sort voice of the future examining consumer responses to ai generated voice in brand communication
title_txtP Voice of the future? Examining consumer responses to AI-generated voice in brand communication
topic Master's Degree Programme in Digital Marketing and Corporate Communication
topic_facet Master's Degree Programme in Digital Marketing and Corporate Communication
url https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/101655 http://www.urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202504283511
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