The psychological mechanism of value co-creation with human-centred generative AI robot assistants

Human-Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) interactions are receiving increasing attention in both society and academia, and GAI integration makes robot assistants more human-centred to better serve consumers. Understanding the value co-creation process between human consumers and GAI robot assistants is critical for the broader adoption of such technologies. This study seeks to investigate the psychological mechanisms and antecedent factors that underlie the human–AI value co-creation process, which has received limited attention in the literature. Accordingly, a theoretical model based on the Autonomy Competence Relatedness (ACR) model and Mind Perception Theory (MPT) is developed to examine the technological features and psychological factors that promote value co-creation. A survey was conducted in Singapore and collected 607 responses, which were analysed through covariance-based structural equation modelling. Survey results reveal that GAI robot assistant features (i.e., sensing autonomy, thought autonomy, action autonomy, personalisation, anthropomorphism, and interactivity) positively impact value co-creation through the mediation of consumers' psychological motivations, including perceived autonomy, competence, warmth, and relatedness satisfactions. By extending the ACR model with MPT, this study enhances the literature on human-GAI interactions, offering a novel understanding of the psychological factors driving value co-creation in human-centred GAI applications.