The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Technology and Customer Experiences in Social Commerce on Customer Purchase Intention of Customers in China

Background and Aim: The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology into social commerce platforms has fundamentally transformed consumer decision-making processes, particularly in emerging digital markets such as China. Despite the growing adoption of AI-driven features, empirical evidence explaining the mechanisms through which AI influences customer purchase intention in social commerce remains limited. This study aims to examine the impact of AI technology on customer purchase intention by focusing on the mediating roles of customer experience in social commerce, perceived usefulness, and perceived value. Materials and Methods: This study adopts a sequential mixed-methods approach. The quantitative phase employed structural equation modeling (SEM) based on data collected from an online survey of 320 social commerce consumers across nine cities in China. The qualitative phase consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted with selected consumers to provide deeper insights into their perceptions and experiences with AI-driven social commerce features. Results: The quantitative findings reveal that AI technology has a significant positive effect on customer purchase intention, both directly and indirectly. Customer experience in social commerce, perceived usefulness, and perceived value were found to play significant mediating roles in the relationship between AI technology and purchase intention. The qualitative findings further support these results by highlighting that AI-driven personalization, recommendation systems, and interactive features enhance consumers’ perceived usefulness and overall shopping experience, thereby strengthening their intention to purchase. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that AI technology influences customer purchase intention in social commerce primarily through enhancing customer experience, perceived usefulness, and perceived value. This study contributes to the literature by clarifying the underlying mechanisms through which AI shapes consumer behavior in social commerce and offers practical implications for businesses seeking to leverage AI technologies to improve customer engagement and purchasing outcomes.