How to win the hearts of consumers with hybrid design? The interactive effects of human–AI collaborative design and advertising appeals on purchase intentions

Purpose With artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly contributing to product design, prior research has primarily contrasted human-designed and AI-designed products, leaving the dynamics within hybrid human–AI collaboration insufficiently examined. How different collaboration roles shape consumer reactions and how marketing messages interact with these roles remain unclear. This study addresses these gaps by examining how the type of human–AI collaboration and advertising appeals jointly influence purchase intentions and by identifying the underlying psychological mechanism. Design/methodology/approach Three product types featuring human–AI hybrid designs paired with different advertising appeals were selected, and three experiments were conducted to examine the research model. Findings The results show that (1) human–AI collaborative design type and advertising appeal exert a significant interactive effect on consumer purchase intentions, (2) information processing fluency mediates this interaction and (3) symbolic consumption context moderates the interactive effect. Originality/value This study shifts the focus from comparing human versus AI design sources to examining the role configuration within human–AI collaboration. It clarifies how different collaboration roles shape consumer responses and how advertising appeals interact with these roles. The findings highlight an overlooked dimension of hybrid design and provide actionable guidance for developing effective marketing strategies for co-designed products.